


The Boss (2P!Italy x Reader)

by ronnie_99



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Boss - Freeform, F/M, Fanfiction, Romance, mafia, mafioso - Freeform, mobster
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-02-03 05:51:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 24,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12742272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ronnie_99/pseuds/ronnie_99
Summary: Not one to play with risks, it was a shock to everyone when you end up attending medical school in Florence instead of London. However, life takes yet another unexpected turn when a single visit to a bar ends with you meeting one of Italy’s soon-to-be most powerful crime boss, Luciano of the Vargas family...From the looks to the wealth, Luciano Vargas has what people would sell their souls for. But he’d give it all up for a chance of freedom. However, this all changes after he realizes that he’s falling in love for the first time in his life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Part One - The Girl
> 
> *All chapters within this part will be written/told in the Reader's second person point of view and perspective to establish her character. This will change in the following parts.
> 
> *Arin and Allen are back and once again they're just satellite characters. They are not characters from Hetalia. Also, I apologize if you share names with any of the supporting cast, I assure you that it is sheer coincidence.
> 
> *I will be making references again.
> 
> *I won't lie: There will be inconsistencies with BTC, but they're not glaring and I'll try my best to edit/revise.
> 
> *Enjoy

THE PLANE REACHED Italy a few minutes before eight o'clock local time. Arin had kept the window shut so you didn't get to see the sky as you landed, but it was all right, you'd get a nice view once you were out.

"Guys, they're about to open the doors." You shook the twins off your shoulders and removed your seatbelt.

"Dammit, [Name]." Arin yawned and leaned on her backrest. "I was having a dream where I was in the body of Dean Winchester and you woke me up just when I was about to rip Swann's head off." She was talking about Beatrix Swann, the protagonist of a series of books revolving around romancing vampires and werewolves. Ever since its release the world has been divided into fans and haters. Okay, not completely true, _you_ didn't care enough to love or hate it.

"Didn't she take Edmund's name after they got married?"

"Swann, Currie, what difference does it make? I was _this_ close to murdering her and her unborn demon spawn." Arin firmly believed that voluntarily getting knocked up by a freaky undead dude won't save a pathetic character from the scrappy heap.

She lifted her eyebrows. "Also, I was _in_ _Dean Winchester's body_. Slaughtering Mouth Breather and Shovel Face was just the frosting on the cake."

You rolled your eyes and laughed before turning your head to Allen, whose head hung to the side. Arin was always full of energy and believed that sleep was for the weak; her twin, on the other hand—he was a heavy sleeper.

"Allen, wakey-wakey." Arin stood over his seat and caught his nose between her thumb and pointer finger. "We're in ITALY" She pinched harder and shook his face.

"That's enough, he's gonna kill you when he wakes up." Even though you three were friends, you still got nervous when Arin got physical with other people, including Allen, who would happily cut his sister's hair if she went too far. You just hated violence.

"Listen to her, Arin" Allen growled, slapping Arin's hand away as his eyes fluttered open.

A stewardess eventually came and helped pull the bags out of the overhead bin. One particular Louis Vuitton had to be carried by a more muscular flight attendant.

"Please enjoy your visit and thank you for flying with us."

Giving them a small smile but only a brief moment of eye contact, you nodded at the kind attendants and left.

You walked through the jet-bridge. Arin complained about neither you nor Allen helping with her luggage and Allen told her she was "an independent woman and didn't need anybody to carry a bag she packed herself" (he said all that with a completely straight face but you knew that he was gloating on the inside).

While the two of them threw more insults at each other, you kept your gaze on the floor. Italy wasn't part of the original plan, but you needed to learn how to be flexible if you wanted to become a good doctor.

The original plan was to attend Hetalian University of England, based in London. But you didn't make the cut. Your other choices were the branches in Florence and Manila. Two weeks and several research studying via internet later, you decided to attend the Italian branch. The new plan involved getting and keeping a flawless 4.0 GPA so you could transfer to London by next year.

You took a deep breath and ordered yourself not to screw things up.

While you waited in the baggage claim area, a woman who looked like she just gulped down a pint of vinegar bumped against you and dropped her phone.

Out of common courtesy, you were going to apologize as well, but instead of a sorry she began yelling in Italian.

You were raised to never talk back to angry and aggressive strangers. One would think you would be used to it but there were still times when you just wanted to flip _that_ finger, however, you never responded to these emotions. You just clasped your sweating palms together and stayed quiet.

However, spunky, no-nonsense Arin had other ways to deal with these strangers.

She pushed her LV bag into your arms and stepped in front of you, hands on her hips and chin pointed upward. You didn't know what Arin said to the woman (the twins were fluent in many languages as they were in their native English), but it got her running away without even bothering to pick up her cracked phone.

"What did you say to her?" You asked.

Arin just waved her hand, "You don't wanna know."

Allen rolled his eyes.

After collecting the luggage, you met with their chauffer outside. He was a middle-aged man with greying brown hair and dark green eyes.

"Miss Arin, Sir Allen" The chauffer turned to you and tipped his hat, "Miss [Name]."

You lowered your eyes. You could never get used to the Rosewaters' way of life.

"Luca, good to see you again." Allen handed him his bags, "You know where to take us."

"Of course, sir. It will be a three-hour trip from here, your grandmother has already set up the TV and placed some magazines inside. The chef has prepared you your favorites in case you get hungry or thirsty"

Mr. Luca opened the door to the limo and the first one to hop inside was Arin, who reached for the remote and turned on the TV.

Allen groaned when the screen lit up to show the first episode of _Supernatural_ season one.

"Don't act like you hate it, brother" Arin retorted to his nonverbal jab at her favorite show "I know you're crushing on them, too."

"Unlike you, dear sister," Allen flipped the pages of an IKEA catalogue that he found lying on top of a stack of magazines (He was already done with the two novels he brought for the flight) "I prefer men who aren't criminals."

You unlocked your phone and sent your mother a quick email to tell her you've arrived safely.

She and dad worried a lot about you travelling without them, especially after _Taken_ was released to the world. Their worrying was contagious and you developed cold feet around the last year of college, especially after you found out that you didn't get accepted to the school you wanted.

But in the process of convincing them to trust you, you convinced yourself not to let fear take over. There was still hope to go to London. You just had to make sure you don't fuck up this one year.

Mom's reply was almost immediate.

****_Have fun and enjoy. But don't forget about your studies!_

You shut off the device and laid your head on the window; even if you were here for school you still shouldn't deny yourself the pleasure of staying in the cradle of the Renaissance.

You passed tourists taking pictures at random places, including in front of the rectangle houses of the locals, and you spotted men and women getting drunk in corners so early in the morning—not the first time you've seen such a sight, but you did make a face when you saw children chasing each other in the streets.

One particular little boy thought it would be funny to try and race the limo. He almost hit the side of the car but was pulled away by a bystander.

You sighed inwardly, _I hate kids_.

 

"We've arrived" Mr. Luca announced.

With fresh and untainted cream-white paint and near-spotless windows, the apartment was obviously younger than the buildings that surrounded it, but the complex was built to match the style of the Florence architecture: symmetrical.

And it was only fifteen minutes away on foot from the university.

You reached your unit and were surprised to see that it was already properly furnished. In the main room, composed of the kitchenette and the living room, there was already a TV set that looked too good to have come with the apartment itself, a couch and a lounge chair, cooking appliances and a cupboard full of junk food.

"I guess Grandma's in Japan for some business meeting right now." Allen stared at a package of green tea-flavored Kit Kats.

You glanced around and noticed that there were only two other doors; one surely lead to the bathroom, which meant that—

You opened each door and saw that you were right, "Looks like we'll be sharing a room."

"I get the top bunk" Arin declared as she stepped inside the only bedroom.

It was also furnished. One bed was connected to the wall, suspended and hanging over another bed on the ground. There was a third bed adjacent to it. All frames had mattresses and beddings and pillows.

Mr. Luca put down the last of the luggage in the living room, but before he could excuse himself, Arin ran up to him and asked, "Is it here?"

The chauffer nodded. "Yes, miss. It arrived yesterday. We put it in the closet."

"Okay, thanks, Luca. Take care on your way back"

Mr. Luca tipped his hat even after Arin had turned and dashed back inside the room. He left as well.

"[Name], c'mere and help me set these up." Arin opened the closet and dragged out a box. She ripped off the packaging tape like it was nothing.

"That better not be your collection of anime figurines." Allen leaned on the doorway "You know I hate those damn things" In contrast to Arin, Allen wasn't much of an anime fan.

"Nope" Arin pulled out a string of fairy lights and turned to you. You smiled at her as she explained. "Just something to liven up this tiny place"

Allen reluctantly helped with taping the lights on the wall and before you knew it, all four sides of the room had lightbulbs hanging on them.

"They look great." Arin closed the binds and plugged them in.

It was like drowning in soft gold.

"It's gorgeous." You added.

"You know what else looks gorgeous, right now?" Allen spoke up.

You and Arin turned your heads.

He blinked. "Food. We didn't have breakfast or lunch since we got here, and it's almost two-thirty."

You didn't realize that. You were so nervous about Italy and school the entire time you've upset your stomach during the entire car ride; on the other hand, Arin fangirled over Sam and Dean, and Allen took a long nap.

"Well, I don't wanna cook" Arin said.

"I don't want you to cook either." Allen replied and she clicked her tongue.

"Let's just go out then." You suggested the obvious. "Who's up for Italian?"

Fortunately, Mr. Luca was only one phone call away and you three went to a restaurant that looked more like a modern art museum than a place of the food serving industry. The interior was waxed, smooth white with dark wooden panels. Tables were square and made of glass while the chairs were black and round. Industrial lamps hung low from the ceiling—so much that anybody standing at and above five feet could touch them without a problem. (But only a moron would do that.)

You were pleased with yourself for wearing something decent for the flight because neither of the twins bothered to change (which meant it'd be weird if you did) and you usually just wore a random t-shirt and your worn-out sneakers with skinny jeans, but for the plane ride you wore a frilly, off-shoulder long-sleeved blouse the twins bought for you while they were in Seoul, and an old pair of strappy sandals. You were glad you wore something nice, because the rest of the customers in the room were dressed up as though they _were_ in a fancy modern art museum.

Mr. Luca said that he'd pick you up after an hour and disappeared once you found yourselves a table and started scanning the menu. Allen helped choose your order and now you just had to wait for the food.

Arin began babbling about garlic and vampires, but as much you loved hearing her arguments you couldn't help but observe the world around you right now.

You were sitting in a restaurant, in Florence. In Italy.

You should be squealing and celebrating, but all you did was bite down on your lip as you wondered if you could survive in this new environment.

A vintage black car slowed down as it neared the restaurant before coming to a full stop. Two men in pressed dark suits stepped out.

They walked to the door.

Allen had noticed that you weren't paying attention to Arin (he wasn't paying attention either) and turned around on his seat to see what caught your eye.

"Oh, boy." He breathed when the two suits came inside.

You glanced at him, "What?"

Allen returned to facing the table and ordered you to do the same.

"Allen, what's going on?"

"Nothing. Just pretend they're not here" He whispered, playing with his fork.

You kept your head down, but there was no stopping your ears. You were seated close to the counter where one of the Suits leaned on, speaking with who you assumed to be the manager.

They kept talking in Italian but from the panicking voice of the manager, you knew there was something wrong. Soon, however, the manager blew up and started yelling at them. Now everyone was watching them.

The Suits sighed, then they gave the manager mysterious smiles before leaving.

Once they were out the door, the manager swallowed and wiped the sweat from her forehead. She apologized and reassured that everything was all right.

"Allen." You said.

The orders arrived.

Allen calmly explained as he picked up the garlic bread that came with the pasta, "Those men are part of the Mafia."

Your eyes widened "But. . .mobsters?"

"We've only heard a few stories about them from our grandmother but we're not allowed to talk about them too much, which is why you shouldn't ask any questions."

Even Arin was quiet. In fact she didn't even listen, she blocked out the conversation and gave her whole-hearted attention to her food. They were serious about the mob.

Who could eat after that?

You finished your meal and went home.

The next morning, you almost threw up. You should've been used to dead bodies, but news about a woman found decapitated in her own restaurant with her head on a silver platter and put outside the door? Good God.

Allen told you not to worry about it. The mob only dealt with specific people, people they had business with, and that alone calmed you down. After all, what business did _you_ have with the Mafia?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part One - The Girl

YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN with studying in Italy was relieved on the first day as all of the faculty staff were fluent in English and so whenever you didn't understand certain lectures, you didn't have to worry about getting lost in translation. But it still felt weird to hang out with your friends and be forced to stay in the sidelines when they had conversations with other people who spoke Italian. Or French. Or Hokkien.

And the inability to speak or even understand what the locals were trying to tell you was definitely a disadvantage.

This afternoon alone you've lost enough Euros for a cup of coffee and overheard some girls giggling behind your back whispering to each other. Although you didn't have to worry about how you could avoid unwanted attention from the men, who would approach you and all you had to do was grin sheepishly and they'd walk away (actually, only one guy had come up to you, but still).

Then came a middle-aged man.

"Ciao" He smiled creepily, revealing a missing incisor and raising the hairs on your nape. You quietly studied him. He was balding and appeared to be over fifty, but his body was very toned for his age. He had on a pair of wrinkled dress pants paired with a simple white t-shirt, which let you see the curious tattoo on his right bicep. A compass rose.

"I'm sorry. . .I don't speak Italian" You said awkwardly and then sidestepped.

You stopped. He had blocked you with his arm and leg.

You glanced up and saw that his smile had grown sinister, and by that you meant that you didn't like the way he was ogling at your chest.

You skipped back and pulled your sweater over your top, which didn't even reveal any cleavage because it was a halter-top.

"I speak English, sweetheart. How about I buy you a coffee or tea?"

You gritted your teeth, hearing him call you sweetheart didn't feel right. It made your skin crawl.

"No, I-I'm in a hurry" You decided to just use a different path "Excuse me" However, he clasped down on your shoulder with a heavy hand and all alarms went off inside you. You weren't going to let him go _Taken_ on your ass. You were about to slap his hand away, but someone called your name and a flash of blonde hair went past your eyes and you realized that the twins were here.

Allen had his arms wrapped protectively around you while Arin stood between you and the man, a little Chihuahua barking out who knows what at the man.

Bystanders started to stare. Arin didn't care, you could practically see smoke come out her red ears as she spoke so fast and so hard you were scared she might bite on her tongue.

Fortunately, the man didn't seem to like the crowd forming around you and quickly backed off.

When he was out of sight Arin threw herself on you and Allen.

"Next time you don't leave the house without us or Luca. You're too cute and people will steal you away!"

You chuckled "Is this your way of confessing your love for me?"

Allen cleared his throat and you turned to him, "Brother and friend here. One who is not into lesbian sex."

Arin snorted. "Whatever" She pulled your arm and spun you around. You lifted your chin and found somebody staring straight at you. A brunette in a cherry red sports car. He jolted slightly in surprise when your eyes met his, but you swung your head away before you could find out his later reactions.

"Anyway, we should get home quick and prepare for the party"

Your eyebrows met high in the middle, "What?"

"You know, the welcome party. . .Oh, right." Arin looked at you with feigned pity.

"That's so unfair. Okay, from now on, when I'm hanging out with you guys, neither of you get to speak any language that I don't understand. That includes Klingon."

Arin pouted, "You're no fun."

"Screw you"

Allen laughed.

You were invited to a school traditional welcome party, which was to be held at a bar named Blue Diamond. Arin wouldn't shut up about it, even while you were changing in the bathroom she'd fangirl from the other side of the door.

"All right, so how's this?" You asked when you stepped out.

The already dressed up Allen couldn't care less, too busy watching TV. Arin made a face.

You sighed. "What?"

"That thing again?" She put down this month's issue of Cosmopolitan.

"This little black dress is the nicest thing I own." It wasn't too short, too low, and didn't hug your form too much so you didn't have to worry about your gut showing once you were full from the free meals. And it was black, which was and would never get out of style.

"That's just depressing"

"And you're annoying as Hell" You knew she was right and a small part of you, the rebel that believed in having fun, wanted you to wear something else, but this dress was safe. You liked safe.

"Fine, wear that old thing to the bar."

"I will"

Allen switched off the TV and adjusted his collar, "Would you both please just put on your makeup already?"

You and Arin threw him a look, but neither of you argued, and then went to get your makeup bags while Allen called Mr. Luca, who arrived no more than five minutes later.

"Have you been to this bar before?" You asked as Arin fixed your eyebrows in the car.

"No, but we've been to its sister in Tokyo, it's called the Silver Square. We were nineteen but since Grandma was with us we were allowed to drink. And then there's another one in Manhattan, the Red Circle. . ." Arin scooted back with the pencil "Okay, you're good to go. Lucky you your pretty face will take off the attention from that dress"

You were about to tell her to shut up, the car slowed down to a stop and Mr. Luca declared that you've reached the bar.

When you stepped inside the Blue Diamond, you saw that Arin wasn't exaggerating when she described the place as high-end. Despite the Greek classic exterior, the inside was constructed mostly of glass and Terracotta bricks, illuminated by blue and red LED rods hung high from the black ceiling. There was an entrance to an indoor pool and a set of stairs that led up to a second floor reserved for VIPs.

Now you understood why Arin wanted you to really suit up, even the bartenders were dressed beautifully in their blue-white-black color-block dresses.

A man in his mid-20s emerged from the dancing crowd and approached you three. He had tan skin and the most gorgeous pair of moss green eyes. "I'm glad you could make it!" He had a Spanish accent.

Arin kissed cheeks with him and introduced you.

"Antonio, this is the roommate I was talking about"

He smiled, "Ah, yes. Arin has told me so much about you"

"I wish I could say the same about you" You raised an eyebrow at Arin as you shook hands with Antonio. "It's nice to meet you, Antonio."

"Likewise"

"Well, that's enough chitchat. Let's dance!" Arin took him by the wrist and whisked him away. You turned to Allen for answers.

"He's in her class" Was all he said, but it didn't matter. For somebody who lived on video games and fangirled over fallen angels and werewolves, Arin _really_ got around.

"How about you, Allen?" You followed him to the bar "Have you found a prince charming yet?"

He grunted, leaning over the counter.

"Why is everyone so nosy? You know, Grandmother tried setting me up with a Starbucks barista while we were in England." He raised a hand to call for a bartender and ordered a gin and tonic "And I'm happy to be single and liberated, though nowhere near as liberated as my sister."

You giggled.

You lifted your cosmopolitan to Allen. "Here's to being single and. . ."

"What is it?"

"Don't look now but there's a redhead four seats down checking you out"

"Oh God, you're starting to sound like Arin"

"Go talk to him!"

"No, I told you I'm not searching for anyone. Plus I'm not leaving you behind, not after what happened this afternoon"

"I'll be fine" You snatched his glass from him "Go."

"No" His blue eyes were sharp and you knew there was no forcing a Rosewater to do anything so you gave up and let him have his gin and tonic.

"You're just as stubborn as your sister. Though then again you're the same person separated by a single chromosome"

Allen rolled his eyes.

You liked to think that you could hold your liquor, though the truth remains to be seen, as you never had more than one drink during trips to pubs. However, by the end of the night, you were always the only person left sober in your circle of friends.

Allen was barely awake after his fifth glass and Arin had sauntered over giggling like a lunatic.

"It's official: I'm in love. He's the one!" She sang.

"Antonio?"

She nodded, her blonde curls bouncing "Yes, and he asked me over to his place"

"And you're here because you want my permission?"

"Well, I can't just leave without saying goodbye, it's not very ladylike" She was definitely plastered.

"Arin, you haven't been a 'lady' since you were sixteen" You said, recalling how she told you about her first time spent with the captain of her high school's soccer team _and_ the captain's brother. "Go and declare your undying love for each other. Just promise me you'll return in one piece tomorrow"

She gave you a hug, laughing, "Will do! I already called Luca and told him to come pick you guys up at eleven o'clock." And with that she disappeared into the sea of bodies.

Allen fell off his seat and onto you.

"Come on," You took Allen's arm "Let's go sober you up"

He just spouted out inaudible, incoherent nonsense, causing you to chuckle. You paid for the drinks before leading Allen outside to give him some fresh air while you waited for Luca to arrive. It was 10:32 so he'd be here soon.

Allen jolted away from you and then bent over.

"What—" You were cut short by his throwing up on the stone pavement. "Oh."

You ran your palm on his back in a circular motion, "You should really be more aware of your limits" You joked.

You felt somebody's presence behind you and when you turned you found a man in his thirties leering at you, his legs were unsteady, which meant he was drunk. Two kinds of perverts in one day, this had to be a record.

You didn't bother to be polite so you just ignored him and went back to taking care of Allen. But then you felt your butt getting squeezed.

"Hey!" You yelled, spinning around, shooting him a glare.

He just cackled and said something in Italian; it was something definitely bad because it was enough to get a reaction from the passive-drunk Allen, who stood up straight and then flipped the man the finger. If you were in any other situation you would've laughed because Allen Rosewater was sarcastic but never vulgar. But there was nothing funny in this case; the man turned redder and then punched your friend in the face, knocking him unconscious.

"Oh, my—Allen!" You shouted and tried to catch him, but the man grabbed and pulled you towards him.

You didn't like _unnecessary_ violence, be it on men or women or children or animals. But this son of a bitch was asking for a big can of whoop-ass.

So with your free hand you seized his wrist and then twisted your hips.

He yelled out in pain and let go. You meant for it as a way to scare him off, but it did the opposite and just provoked him. Now he was glaring at you, nose wrinkled and brows forming a crease on his forehead.

He drew back his elbow and you braced yourself. But the punch never came.

You opened your eyes and found that another man had caught your attacker and then placed him in an elbow lock.

Your savior spoke with a clear and authoritative voice. The man seemed afraid of him because when he was free from the joint lock he ran away without looking back.

"Are you all right?" Your savior didn't look any older than you or the twins. He had copper brown hair and dark eyes, which were familiar but you couldn't figure out why, and he wore a pressed three-piece suit, which hugged his body in all the right ways.

You squeaked and flushed because you realized you've been staring too long and a heavy silence had set in. "I-I'm fine. Thank you, sir. . ." You refused to make eye contact as you expressed gratitude and hurried to Allen's side.

He was alive and breathing, but his left eyelid had been cut and the area around it was starting to bruise.

You searched his pockets.

It was still ten minutes before eleven and you really didn't want to wait any longer for Luca.

"Crap" You whispered when you finally found his phone, which was cracked and now useless.

"I can drive you to the hospital" said the stranger "if you want."

You thought about it for a moment, but the offer was nulled by the appearance of a familiar limousine. Once it was parked, Mr. Luca practically ran out.

"What happened?" He asked you.

"We were attacked"

"Attacked—" Mr. Luca stopped when he noticed the other young man with you. "Signor Luciano!" He exclaimed, wide-eyed.

Luciano raised his hand and shook his head "I was just passing by when I noticed that she was being harassed."

"The pervert punched Allen when he tried to defend me" You added.

"I-I see. . .I tried calling Mr. Allen to tell him I will be picking you up from the bar at eleven o'clock but he wouldn't answer. I got worried and hurried and now. . ." He trailed off.

"We need to take him to the hospital" You said, "He hit the ground pretty hard"

"Of course, miss."

"I'll help carry him" Luciano went to hold Allen's legs and scolded Mr. Luca when he protested.

"Careful with his head!" You shouted worriedly.

___

Allen woke up with a shiner and was in danger of another stern lecture from his grandmother _and_ his sister, but he was all right, and you were free to think about someone else.

Luciano.

You've read and fantasized about meeting handsome, mysterious strangers, but you were grounded enough to know that life wasn't very generous when it came to. . .well, everything. So the appearance of Luciano triggered several feelings inside you: attraction, intrigue, excitement. . .the giggles. And other very specific thoughts as well.

Thoughts that made your skin light up with fire.

You pushed them away and concentrated on the current lecture, convincing yourself to forget about the stranger because after helping Mr. Luca carry Allen into the limo, he bade his farewell, and you repeated in your mind that was the last time you'd ever see him.

Or so you thought.

Days later, when you've already erased him from memory, he came back again. And he was bleeding.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> > JOHN WICK, GUYS (>.<)
> 
> > Oh, and to clear things up, the twins don’t play any important role in the story and they are both satellite characters, however, in this story they come from a wealthy family and have some knowledge about the underworld.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part One - The Girl

THE TWINS WERE with their study group and apparently they were going to be there long so they told you to eat dinner without them. You were in no mood to cook so you went to this vegan bistro just a few blocks away from the school and only a three-minute walk back to the apartment.

The twins would kill you for not going straight home, but it wasn't like you could get lost, and the friendly staff already knew you as a regular. Nothing could go wrong.

But you seemed to be a magnet for trouble.

Thanking the waiter, you exited the bistro and started walking, only for someone to glomp you from behind, fingers gently squeezing your breast.

You shrieked and drew your elbow, stopping momentarily when you saw the blood that dripped from your assailant's hands, his knuckles were raw and grazed, pieces of skin gone.

"Please..." Voice was weak and out of breath, but you knew who it belonged to.

You reluctantly looked behind you; Luciano Vargas leaned on your back, his right eye was swelling and he had small cuts on his face.

You twisted your body and caught his shoulders. He wasn't wearing a jacket, his dress shirt was crumpled, and blood spread through his left pant leg. He was stabbed.

"Hold on, I'll call an ambulance" You reached into your purse but he seized your wrist and you gasped at his iron-grip.

"No ambulance. No hospitals... I can't be seen..." He whispered between heaves of breath; he's been running "I just... need to hide"

You stared at him, silently debating on what to do. You prided yourself for being sensible, and sensible people don't invite bleeding strangers into their homes, but how could you say no to this one? He saved you from a potential rapist and possibly stopped said asshole from killing your friend.

You clasped your hands together and stared at his thigh, "But your thigh—"

"It's not deep, I can deal with it later. Please, I just need... t-to hide. We have to hurry, he'll be here soon"

"Okay." You heeded. You searched your purse for your sunglasses and then handed them to Luciano. He looked at you but said nothing as he put the shades on.

You led him to the apartment, sneaking him into the back door near the emergency stairs. You peered in and saw that the security guards were busy talking with each other by the front entrance.

"Let's go" You pulled Luciano into the elevator, ordering him to lean in the corner as you smashed the close button, ignoring the other residents who waved their arms at you upon entering the building.

When you finally arrived in your unit, you helped Luciano to the couch, instructing him to lie down before you ran to retrieve the first aid kit.

"Is it okay if I cut your pants?"

He glanced at you, "Do you have a better way to clean my thigh?"

You flushed and used the scissors on the pant leg.

He sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just not my day today."

"I can see that." You carefully peeled the fabric away. He was right about the stab not being deep; the blade didn't penetrate more than an inch, nor did it hit bone, but it was still in danger of getting infected. "...Is it okay to ask how this happened?"

"Well, you could get killed for this so you have the right to know"

You hoped he was joking, but he gave no indication that he was so that got your nerves shaking.

"I was out for a drive to clear my head when I got ambushed by a fucking hitman—" He hissed when you accidentally pressed your thumb into his open wound.

You raised your hands, almost spilling the saline "I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right." He chuckled, "I probably should've warned you."

"By hitman, you mean...murder for hire?"

He nodded, "But please finish with my injury first."

"R-right." You cleaned the wound and then wrapped it in bandages before moving to his knuckles, and then his face. Once you finished treating the lacerations, you stood and went to the kitchen.

When you returned, you took off the shades and gently placed the pack of frozen peas over his eye.

"Thank you"

"No problem" You watched him fix the pack's position, "What happened with you and the hitman?"

"Just a loud American weasel who doesn't know how to be subtle. Asshole destroyed my front tyres and then tried to shoot me with a grenade launcher. Thankfully, I got out my car before it exploded." He growled lowly, "He's gonna pay for destroying my Juliet"

"Pardon me?"

"My car. She's the most beautiful piece of machinery you'd ever lay your eyes on, but that stupid hitman blew her up."

You were appalled at how he was more furious about the car getting destroyed than his own injuries, so much that you couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. Um..." You cleared your throat "How did you get stab?"

"After I got out, he attacked me with a knife head-on, but he has more bark than he can bite. I disarmed him and stole his bike. It ran out of gas before I could get home and well... here I am"

"Why would a hitman be after you?"

His lips curved into a wicked smile, "That... is a secret. But you're free to guess"

"Well, you wore a fancy suit the last time I saw you. You're wearing one right now. I'm guessing you're someone rich"

"That's true"

"...and rich people are often targeted by criminals."

"Also true"

"Are you a magnate of sorts?"

He looked up in thought and then smirked again "Of sorts."

"You're not telling me, are you?"

"Look, Miss..."

"Call me [Name]"

"Miss [Name]" He sat up, "You seem to be a nice girl, but you're also smart, so take my advice when I say you're better off not knowing"

"You make it sound like you're someone dangerous... Wait." Your eyes widened, "Are you a member of the mob?"

He threw back his head and laughed, "I'll be damned. You guessed it right, and here I was trying to be mysterious"

He was a mobster. You just treated a mobster.

He must've seen your fearful expression because his smile softened and he reassured you, "Don't worry, bella, I won't hurt you. After all, you risked your life to help me"

Your phone began to buzz. You didn't take your eyes off of Luciano as you picked it up.

"H-hello?"

"[Name], are you okay? My best friend senses are tingling." Arin sounded worried "Oh my God, where are you? What happened?"

Luciano held a finger to his mouth and you reluctantly replied, "...Nothing's wrong. I just got home from the bistro."

Arin sighed, "Good. Well, we just finished here. Allen and I will be eating with the group, you be a good girl while we're out."

"Y-yeah."

There was a pause before Arin shouted "SOMETHING IS WRONG"

"What the Hell are you talking about?"

"You never just say 'yes' to me without adding some sarcasm!"

"Look, I gotta go. You and Allen enjoy your meal" You hung up before she could say anything else.

Luciano put down the pack, "Your friend sounds intense."

"Trust me, she is."

You handed him the phone and he raised an eyebrow, so you explained "Call whoever you like. I'll make you something to eat."

 

"How is it?"

He swallowed the spaghetti you reheated. "It's... okay"

"'Okay'?"

"All right, it's horrible. The sauce is too sweet and the pasta is undercooked; I've had English food that tasted less disgusting."

You wanted to tell him to back off since Allen was a talented cook and you happened to love the dishes he prepared for you, but you really didn't want to piss off a Mafioso "You're very honest, aren't you, Mr. Vargas?"

"Only about the things that matter. And call me Luciano, bella"

It was just a random nickname and it probably meant nothing, but you still blushed at being thought of as pretty—not because you had low self-esteem, but because it was Luciano, who appeared to be someone with extremely high standards.

"Anyway, as much as I'd love to stay and talk to you some more, I better get going." He got up from the chair and started walking "My ride is probably waiting outside"

"It's eight-thirty, that hitman's probably going to attack you again. You can stay here for the night."

"You're too naïve" He stopped in front of the door and faced you "I could be a murderer, or a rapist who waits until good girls are asleep before attacking them."

"That could be true, but maybe it's the opposite: I'm only pretending to be a Good Samaritan and you just ate drugged spaghetti sauce."

He smiled "Are you saying we're both horrible judges of character?"

"I'm trying to say I enjoyed talking to you and I don't mind risking it."

He chuckled and reached for your left hand. "Thank you for everything, [Name]. I mean it." He pressed his soft lips on your knuckles, and fire brushed your skin.

"I'll see you around." He let go and then went his way, quietly shutting the door behind him.

Left alone, you clutched your cheeks. _Holy shit, he's smooth. And what did he mean by 'he'll see me around'?_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note:
> 
> > The Reader isn't a klutz, okay? Luciano's story just took her by surprise.
> 
> > The twins have only heard about Luciano's grandfather, the current boss. So no, they have no idea who Luciano is.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part One - The Girl

HUMANS WERE BORN with their brains above their hearts, that alone should be irrefutable evolutionary and theological proof that one must choose logic over feelings. You've been taught this since childhood; that being able to think rationally in the face of overwhelming emotions was what set man from the other animals. Humans were superior in that they were able to resist their feral instincts. After all, as Rose Sayer puts it _"Nature is what we are put in this world to rise above."_

Yet even with that in mind, you couldn't stop yourself from thinking about Luciano, and when you did think of him—of his dark hair and charming smirk, you'd get lost in your own daydreams.

But he was a mobster; a man who sold illegal drugs and guns and people, a man who murdered others. How could you crush on someone like that?

"What about you, [Name]?" Allen's voice snapped your thoughts and you were reeled back to whatever conversation you were having.

"Food or sex?" Allen repeated.

Before you could reply, Arin slapped your back and cackled "Please, she's a virgin! That's an unfair question."

"Okay, skank, just 'cause I don't sleep around as much as you doesn't mean—" You stopped walking.

In front of your apartment door lay a bouquet of full bloom red roses.

"Ooh, a package. Must be from one of my suitors." Arin bent down to pick it up.

You crossed your arms "I thought you already found your true love in the form of the dazzling Antonio?"

"Didn't take." She unfolded the card attached to the bouquet "In the end we decided to see other people."

"What a surprise" Allen remarked, glancing at you.

You just shook your head.

Arin arched a brow at the card "Nurse? Who the Hell is Luciano V? Wait a minute. This isn't mine." Her blue eyes widened at you and her peach lips curled up mischievously _"You tramp."_

You snatched the paper from her. Allen peered over your shoulder and read along.

_To my lovely nurse,_

_I'm so sorry for the trouble I've caused you. Please accept this bouquet but I don't think it will ever be enough to express my gratitude. That aside, I really enjoyed talking to you._

_I hope to see you again soon._

_—Luciano_

"Our lovely little virgin princess has found herself a prince charming" Allen poked your cheek.

"Oh, my God, I can't believe it. When did you meet him? More importantly, why didn't you tell us sooner?" Arin demanded "And playing nurse? You naughty little thing, I never knew you were so kinky"

You didn't respond to either of them. You reread the letter, processing each word and piecing them together to make sure you weren't imagining this.

_I hope to see you again. See you. Hope to. Again. See. You. **Enjoyed talking to you.**_

The skin on your face was warm as your hand wrapped around your mouth to hide your growing smile. You just received flowers from a mobster, you weren't supposed to be giggling from excitement of meeting this guy for the second time.

Coincidentally, you didn't have to wait long, because the very next morning (a lazy Sunday) you saw him again outside your apartment, two men in black stood behind him like Pinkerton guards.

"Hello" He tipped his chin and you flushed a thousand shades of red because the more you stared at his suede jacket and brushed auburn hair the more you grew conscious of your bedhead and sand-covered eyes.

As you clutched onto the hem of your Minnie Mouse t-shirt Arin popped her head over to see if it was the utility man. She only froze for a moment before breaking into a big smile and smoothing her fingers over her pale yellow nightie.

"Ciao" She purred seductively and leaned on the doorframe as she jutted out her hip "I haven't seen a plumber like you before"

Luciano grinned curiously and while you trusted Arin enough as your loyal friend, you still burned with jealousy.

"Excuse us" You muttered sharply before grabbing Arin. You pinched her elbow, receiving a harsh _Ow!_ and dragged her into the kitchenette.

"Keep your panties on, Samantha Jones, he's the Luciano V who sent me the roses." You whispered.

She blinked. She glanced at Luciano, then back at you. "Damn." But instead of a disappointed hiss, she sounded impressed.

"Yes, _damn_."

"Well, then, I wish you the best of luck, sister. But if things don't work out you know what to do."

"I'll be sure to give him your phone number and picture from your vacation in Hawaii"

"You're a babe" She kissed your cheek and returned to the bedroom, most likely to wake up Allen and listen through the wall.

You forced yourself to forget about them and gave your full attention to Luciano, "I'm sorry for my friend. She's the one who called the other night"

"She's very... how should I put this diplomatically..." He raised his head in thought.

"She's a wanton" You finished.

His brows rose at the term you used, especially on your friend, "Um..."

"Don't worry, she's proud of her title." You waved it off and then folded your arms "I got the flowers, by the way. They're very pretty. Thank you"

"Anything for you"

You lowered your gaze and prayed that he wouldn't see the redness creeping up your neck. "Do you want to come inside?"

"Yes, actually, I came here to discuss something important" Before he stepped inside he raised his hand and the men behind him turned their backs to guard the hallway. Whatever Luciano's position was, there was no denying that it made him an important person.

"I'm not going to bill you for the first aid I provided" You pulled a chair for him.

He sat and watched you bend over in front of the fridge "I won't be paying you cash, no, I realize that you're not someone who would take it. But I'd feel bad if I didn't at least take you out to dinner"

The glass pitcher of OJ almost slipped off your hold, "Sorry?" You might've not heard it right.

His mouth curled "I want to take you out to dinner"

You didn't know what to say, not that it'd matter because you were already laughing. You could already picture the twins giving you a WTF look.

"What's so funny, bella?"

"I'm sorry..." You cleared your throat, realizing how stupid and crazy you appeared. You put down the pitcher "You don't have to do that. You already saved me, and you helped Allen... The roses were more than enough"

"No they are not. You risked your life by assisting me, let me do this one thing for you" His knuckles were still scarred from his injuries, and it took you two seconds to realize that he was holding your hand.

You faced him. The sunlight poured in through the windows and you saw that his brown eyes were less brown and more red. A beautiful purplish red that told you he wasn't taking no for an answer.

What were you doing? When someone like Luciano Vargas offers you a dinner invitation, you take it. When he gives you a mutilated deer carcass, you take it.

"Well?"

You grinned weakly "You're making it difficult to say no"

"I'm used to getting what I want"

You glanced at his Rolex watch "I can tell."

"So you're going?"

"Only if I can make a request"

"That depends on the request" This man would make for an excellent manager.

"I don't really feel comfortable surrounded by..." You trailed off and tipped your head towards the door, referring to his bodyguards.

"Don't worry about it. They'll keep their distance"

The way he spoke of his men, like they were just pets or toys, that really bothered you. But you chased away the feeling and nodded, "All right."

He lifted your hand to his lips like last time "Thank you"

His smile gleamed, hiding something vicious, something you couldn't predict.

___

Another Suit came to pick you up at six-thirty, like the others his expression was unreadable and he barely said a thing when he arrived at the apartment. In fact, he only spoke to inform you that he was your ride, didn't even introduce himself.

In a way, you were glad that he wasn't one of those chauffeurs who would force you into small talk, because most of the time you preferred to sit in silence as the car drove down the road.

You picked on the skirt of your new dress. You were serious when you said your LBD was the nicest gown you brought to Italy and you all agreed that you couldn't wear it to a fancy dinner, so you went shopping that afternoon until you found the perfect off-shoulder pink satin dress and a pair of silver heels.

 _"Don't do anything stupid"_ Was Allen's excellent advice.

You sighed and lightly scratched your collarbone as you leaned on the window. _Let's hope not,_ You thought.

The car stopped and the Suit opened your door.

"Thank you" You said before getting out.

A woman—also in a black suit and wore her lips tightly—approached you "Ms. [Lastname], I assume. Sir Luciano is waiting for you. Please come with me."

You followed her inside the brick restaurant, which was packed with people wearing designer clothes and no one appeared to be younger than twenty-one.

You grabbed the side of your head and kept your gaze on the marble floor, your pulse quickened and you blinked a few times to stop your vision from blurring.

You went through a glass door guarded by two brawny Suits, walking straight into a garden filled with periwinkles and bluebells and lit up by iron lamps. Beneath a giant tent was a table where Luciano sat.

"Sir, your guest has arrived" The woman announced.

Luciano smiled at you but dismissed the woman without even a thank you.

"You look lovely" He said as you took your seat.

"Mhm." You chewed the inside of your cheek.

"I hope you don't mind but I ordered ahead of you. I didn't know what you like so I just asked for a little bit of everything" 'A little bit of everything.' How does that work?

"Please dig in" He gestured at the numerous Italian dishes set out on the table, ranging from salads and soups to birds and pasta.

You reached for the salad first, your stomach wasn't hungry, it was still trying to unknot itself. A knot from when the realization that you were alone with a mobster finally got to you "Um, Luciano, I know that you're doing this to repay me, but I can't help but think that you may have an ulterior motive"

"That's because you think too much" He said, cutting up the duck "You need to live a little. Eat more and have fun"

"What makes you think I don't have fun?"

He tipped his chin "You seem like one of those people who have their entire life planned out, never taking a risk"

"You got the entire life planned out part right, but I do take risks." Okay, that wasn't exactly true; going to Italy wasn't so much a risk as having no other choice.

You inwardly sighed, "Sorry, never mind. You're right. I am pretty boring."

"Agree to disagree" He leaned on the table, elbows propped up as he stared at you "I think you're quite fascinating."

You lowered your gaze "Oh, thanks." This was going to be a long night.

"You once mentioned to me that you're a medical student?"

"Yes, I just started. I want to become a surgeon"

"Is it altruism or desire for wealth?"

"A little bit of both, actually. I plan to give back to my family once I start receiving my own paycheck." You stabbed the cherry tomato "Plus, I like to cut thing open so..."

Luciano didn't even chuckle, but his smile didn't disappear "What a coincidence, so do I"

You paused from chewing and thought about what to say.

He laughed, "I'm kidding. Tell me more about you."

You told him about your parents, your original plan for London, how you met the twins, and so much more. And he listened, actually listened. He didn't just nod along impatiently and absent-mindedly. He asked questions and made jokes. For a moment, you forgot who he was.

 

"This is a beautiful place." You said as you two strolled around the garden, passing bushes and admiring the moon. You walked up a bridge that stood over pond and led straight to a small white gazebo.

"My grandparents used to come here a lot" He stopped midway and bent over the railing "and my father proposed to my mother on this bridge"

Was this flirting? You had a feeling that this was flirting.

"They said that I should only bring a woman here if I thought she may be the one." He stood straight and faced you, "[Name], are you fucking anyone?"

"I don't know what you're trying to—" You stepped back, but he wasn't letting you go, seizing your wrist.

"It's a simple question" His eyes lost their warmth "Do you have a boyfriend?"

You shook your head "No, I don't, and I'm not looking for one"

"I'm asking because I need you to be my lover" His hands were on your arms.

"I told you, I'm not interested" What the Hell was wrong with this guy?

"I'm not asking you to be my fuck-buddy, I have a line of girls more than willing to jump into bed with me at a snap of my fingers. I need you to be my _girlfriend_ , you're the only one who could play the part." He said the word 'girlfriend like it was some sort of position. Or disease

"No." You said firmly, staring him down. Now you've realized why he went through so much trouble to get you here, why he put effort in getting to know you.

"I get it now. Don't worry, I'll pay you" That statement set you off and you shoved him away from you, but you forgot that you were on a bridge and he fell back first into the water.

"Oh, shit!" You yelled and ran to check on him "Luciano?"

Heavy footsteps crunched the grass and five of his bodyguards arrived, each one of them armed with a gun. You slapped both palms over your mouth, you just pushed a Mafioso over a bridge.

The woman from before glared at you and then called out in Italian, _"Signor! Stai bene?"_

The water splashed as Luciano waded out of the pond, soaked from head to toe. He raised his hand "I'm fine, lower your weapons. It was an accident"

They reluctantly obeyed.

He sighed and you almost peed yourself when he spun to face you. You let yourself breathed when you found him smirking in amusement.

"I think we've had enough fun for tonight. I'm driving you home."


	5. Chapter 5

YOU WERE TEMPTED to unstrap your seatbelt and jump out Luciano's Ferrari, but he was going over eighty miles per hour and it'd be a damn shame to get dirt and blood on your new dress. Flesh can regenerate and bones can be pieced back together but this gown cost you a fortune and it won't be able to mend itself.

You dragged your palm over your face. With a groan you ordered yourself to focus on the more important issue at the moment.

You snuck a glance of the "issue" from the corner of your eyes. His normally sleek hair was tousled but at least it wasn't dripping anymore, and he had changed into a different suit, but he left the jacket on the backseat and rolled the sleeves to his elbows. He was yet to speak a word to you.

You stared at your lap. You couldn't believe that you pushed a Mafioso off a bridge. (Thank God it was a shallow pond and not a river.)

A lump formed in your throat and you gulped it down hard. Even if he was unharmed from that stunt you pulled despite it being an accident, there was still no guarantee that you'd live to see the next sunrise.

"[Name]"

You squeaked and straightened your spine to as much as your seatbelt would allow "Yes?"

There was a pause in the air before he chuckled "You're afraid of me" Yeah, no shit.

"I can't tell if that's a question or a statement"

"It's an observation." He said "You've been tapping your fingers on your knees since I entered the car. Plus you're doing your best to avoid eye contact" You didn't notice that until he pointed it out. You curled your fingers into fists to stop them from tapping.

You cleared your throat "Does it bother you that I'm afraid?" Because it was definitely bothering you. The AC was on but you sweated so much you prayed for your deodorant not to fail you now.

"I'm used to people being afraid of me, it gets pretty boring. But there are times when it's amusing. The way you shake is so cute, you're like a puppy."

He just called you a dog.

"Fuck you"

Your body lurched forward, your head almost hitting the dashboard. The tyres screeched as the car swerved to a sudden stop on the side of the busy road, receiving angry honks from the other drivers. Only then did you realize what you just said.

You slammed both hands over your mouth, regretting the five glasses of Chianti you had. You wanted no more than one but Luciano insisted even though he himself only had a sip.

Ice drenched your blood and seeped out your skin. French tipped nails dug into the skin around your lips.

Sometimes your mouth was faster than your brain...Sometimes you wished you could sew it shut. And sometimes you just wanted the Earth to swallow you whole.

See, this was why you didn't enjoy drinking when with other people: all those etiquette lessons on self-restraint? Gone. You would lose your senses. Of course with your luck you had to lose them during the most inappropriate time.

You just used the f word on Luciano, someone who could kill you and drop your corpse into the sea and no one would be able to touch him, not the cops or a judge.

Beside you he was still clutching on the wheel. You waited for him to talk.

A minute of silence passed.

You unclenched your fists. This was awkward. And terrifying. Tonight's dinner threatened to rise up your throat, maybe from the physical spin or the emotional stress, but it didn't matter as you pursed your lips tightly. Bile and leather did not go together, and you were sober enough not to give Luciano a third motive for murder.

Then you heard it.

A soft chuckle. You dared yourself to look. At first it was only Luciano's shoulders that shuddered, but then the quiet snicker erupted into full-blown laughter that shook his entire body.

Your heart sped up inside you. So he _was_ crazy.

"You're one surprise after another tonight" There was a click and his seatbelt rolled back in its retractor and Luciano leaned over the armrest, he was so close you couldn't focus on anything else but him.

"Tell me the truth, are you doing this on purpose?" He whispered, eyes glinting. His free hand pressed on your thigh and making your muscles stiff.

"I have no idea what that means." You locked your gaze on him to make sure he wouldn't look away as you reached for your buckle.

"Teasing me, telling me you're not interested and then making me want you."

Wow. This guy was a riot.

Your fingers grazed the red release button. "Please just take me home"

His stared at you for a few seconds and then sighed before slouching in his seat.

You hugged yourself "Why did you ask me to be your girlfriend?"

"It's a long story"

You watched the digital clock change a number. "Well...it's a long ride home" You weren't considering his offer, but might as well try to understand his reasons for being such a dick this evening. Maybe he would get distracted from telling his story that he'll overlook your ruining his designer suit and leather shoes.

He glanced at you "I've never murdered anyone before so you can stop _not_ looking at me, I'm not mad."

You said nothing.

"You're not from the Underground so I guess I can tell you" He pulled on his collar and exhaled "It's my grandfather"

You threw him a side-glance, arms uncrossing.

"My grandfather's the one in charge right now and I'm supposed to take his place once he dies. I don't really want to, but his word is law in our house." He pushed back his bangs "Anyway, I...I did something idiotic and the only way I can escape punishment is to get a girlfriend."

You couldn't resist cocking an eyebrow "What kind of punishment did he threaten you?"

"Good question. He said that if I don't stop acting like a kid and get myself settled with someone descent he's going to marry me off to my childhood friend, a woman who's supposed to inherit her father's place."

"Oh." You paused, "That doesn't sound too bad" You were expecting some form of physicaltorture.

He whipped his head "You're kidding, right?"

"No, sorry" You raised your hands in defense "It's just that sometimes arranged marriage works and she is your friend after all, and when you said that she's some heiress I'm assuming she's also someone with influence. Won't the alliance be beneficial for both parties? Politically, so to speak." Your parents taught you the significance of love in a marriage, but you never really thought of your wedding to be your big day. Your big day wasn't you wearing a white dress and walking down the aisle with a bouquet, it was you in a cap and gown with your degree.

Luciano stayed quiet for a moment, contemplating what you just said, and then he was smirking again, "And here I was expecting you to say that arranged marriage is bullshit."

You mentally sighed in relief. He seemed to be in a good mood again.

"It's not perfect but I knew someone who ran away with her secret boyfriend to avoid it. Months later they were starving and homeless"

"They loved each other, didn't they?"

You rubbed the callus on your thumb and muttered, "Love can't feed you." You finally turned to him "But we're getting off topic. Why don't you just ask one of your former flings to pretend? Better yet why not just get a real girlfriend instead of treating it like some chore?"

Luciano snorted "Because it is a chore. I don't want to settle down. I just need someone to act as my girlfriend for a month or so to convince grandfather that I'm capable of a 'mature relationship'. Besides my former flings aren't exactly long-term, that's why they're called flings. Not everyone is interested in settling down, starting a family and being serious, but my grandfather doesn't think the same way." He clicked his tongue "So either I convince him or it's one woman for the rest of my life"

You laughed, "Sounds to me like you're just spoiled" But you understood what he was trying to say. Your mother and aunts expected every girl to grow up wanting a husband and kids and a dainty house in a quaint and quiet neighborhood. Many people pictured their happy endings their jobs and building their own family, your "happy ending" involved saving lives and paying back your parents for raising you. That and only that. You never thought of who would be your future spouse or the names you'd give your children. Money was scarce and you've put all your time and energy in school with a few parties and kissing every now and then so you wouldn't end up hanging yourself.

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with your problem" You said "I have my own plate of things to do and it requires all of my time and focus"

He chuckled dryly "Well, I won't force you. I guess I'll find someone else" He started the car again "But you know, [Name], I wasn't lying when I said I enjoy talking to you. If I were to spend the rest of my life just having conversation with one person, I wouldn't mind if it was you."

 

The twins had pestered you for details when you arrived back in the apartment but you were full and half-drunk and tired. After taking a shower you plopped down on your soft lavender-scented mattress and passed out.

Monday morning came fast, and you groaned at the pounding in your skull.

The bedroom door swung open and Arin stepped inside "Another love package for the nurse" She sang.

You reluctantly removed the cotton blanket away from your face.

Arin sat on the edge of the bed and handed you the lilies. There was another card, this time it had a phone number on it.

_My offer still stands._

_—Luciano_

He just didn't know when to quit.

You should've been irritated, but instead you found yourself smiling stupidly.

Arin leaned. "I'm guessing the date went well?"

Extremely. You were alive and in one piece so yes, the date went well.

"Are you planning to give it to him?" She wiggled her brows.

"Shut up" You lightly pushed her.

"Breakfast is ready" Allen announced from outside.

You got up and crumpled the paper before throwing it in the garbage bin, but you kept the flowers.

___

Ten days later and still no Luciano, life was returning to normal. More or less. The number of lessons covered per session had tripled and you were too busy with studying to even spare a second wondering about Luciano. Even party girl Arin had been stuck in the library this past week.

You yawned. A storm had arrived today but while classes were cancelled you had plans to go to the Glass Stiletto, which for some reason was a café and not a strip club despite the name.

The rain had delayed the construction of a restaurant next door so you didn't have to worry about the drills and hammers that usually bothered your study group.

"Well, that's pretty much all of it" Kiku closed his book "Remember, this will be our first test for Doctor Pabinguit. Miss it and you'll be held back a year or worse"

"I just can't wait for it to be over" Magnus stretched, his long legs kicking you and Erzsébet under the table.

"We better get going now" Toris said. He was the one who invited you to the group and gave you a ride to the coffeeshop, the other three lived closely to each other so they just went together in Erzsébet's Porsche. "Great work today, everyone"

You pushed the door and stepped outside to the heavy splatter of rain on the ground and audible wind swooshing down the street.

"Ah, you go get in the car. I need to use the rest room" Toris gave you his key, did a 180, and dashed past Kiku, Erzsébet and Magnus.

You shivered and shoved your fists into the pockets of your jacket.

"Think we'll pass?" Erzsébet asked.

"We better" You grinned and hopped down the stairs. "I'll see you guys tomorrow, okay?" You waved and then walked towards Toris' blue sedan.

A sharp, strong burst of air undid your bun, your red scrunchie plunged into a puddle.

You knelt down to pick it up but then you heard gasps from behind. Magnus shouted over the rain "LOOK OUT!"

You heard creaking from above so you instinctively glanced up. The scaffolding fell apart and before you could even scream, the metal poles collapsed on you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: I'm such a horrible person to my characters. I wouldn't want to be the protagonist of any of my stories. But then again... hot boys. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	6. Chapter 6

THERE WAS NO pain when you woke up, but you shut your eyes the second light met them and when you tried to lift an arm it was asleep and heavy. It took you two seconds to realize that your right arm was in a sling.

 _Beep. Beep. Beep._ A heart monitor.

You blinked slowly until you adjusted to the light, white and yellow daisies surrounded the hospital room. You looked down and saw that one leg was in a cast.

A nurse arrived and then called for the doctor. He checked your vitals, and as he informed you of your four-day coma, two blondes ran inside. Both looked like crap: pasty complexion, sunken cheeks and dark circles around their big blue eyes, like they hardly ate or slept in the past few days. Allen's polo shirt was wrinkled and Arin didn't wear any makeup.

They rushed to the bed. "Oh my God, you're finally awake!"

"How are you feeling?" Allen asked.

Your lips were chapped and painful and your throat was dry but you managed to reassure them, "I'm not in pain, I don't even remember much of what happened" You could hazily recall Magnus' warning and the creaking of metal. Your pulse quickened at the distant memory of the scaffolding just a few feet above you but that was it; no pain. You were hit on the head and knocked unconscious before most of unfinished restaurant landed on you. You were surprised that you were alive. Not ungrateful, just surprised. And relieved.

"We were so worried! Toris called and we didn't know what to do when he said the scaffolding fell on you. Thank God you survived." Arin gently squeezed your free hand.

"Thank you for being here"

"We're family, you don't have to thank us for anything" Allen gave you a small smile, but it lasted for only a moment "Your mom flew over the day after you were hospitalized. She'd been up all night watching over you but she went back to our apartment to take a shower. Luca went to pick her up" He poured you a glass of water.

You eyed the heart monitor and then your cast "My parents. . ."

Someone knocked on the door and your mother arrived with a stuffed giraffe and swollen eyes.

Your mom didn't bother to keep her cool—when it came to their children mothers never did. "My girl, thank the Lord you're okay!" She held your face in her calloused palms and kissed your cheeks over and over again. You didn't stop her.

"I'm okay, mom" You spoke because the way she held you gave you the impression that she was too scared to let go.

"The doctors told me that there was a chance you might never wake up. Christ, if you knew how much your dad cried. . ."

You didn't ask why he wasn't here. Dad couldn't leave his job even if this was a family emergency, his boss was an asshole and you were satisfied with having your mom. You just wished he was here to see for himself that you were all right.

He and Arin silently left the room as your mom finally relaxed and pulled away, wiping her tears away with a handkerchief.

"Are you hungry, honey? 'Course you are. What do you want to eat, hm?"

"Mom, it's okay, the nurse brought me something earlier" Though frankly you could feel it stirring in your stomach.

"Sure thing, but" She reached inside her tote bag, which she always kept stacked with snacks, gum, water, chargers and extra clothes. She pulled out a Fritos "Hospital food sucks"

You chuckled, "I'm not that hungry. In fact I feel like crap. I mean, I'm not in pain" You quickly added when her brows came together "—I'm just not in the mood right now."

"If you say so" She threw the chips back in her bag "And we have something important to talk about"

"More important than my current condition?" You jokingly asked.

"More or less" She gestured at the flowers and then beamed at you "When were you going to tell me you scored a sexy Italian?"

Your eyes widened "I beg your pardon?"

She laughed "Don't play dumb with me, missy. You've been getting a bouquet every morning and every afternoon."

Your heart skipped a beat and your mom grinned at the abnormal beep from the monitor "Was there a card?"

"Card? No. A delivery guy took them here but he the sender didn't have a name" She clasped her hands together "My daughter has a secret admirer" She sang.

"You sound like you're the one who's been getting them" You teased to keep your mother in cloud nine, but in your mind you knew exactly who it was and as flattered as you were by the gesture you began to wonder.

Why give you flowers? Did he know of your condition? If so how did he find out?

What was Luciano's goal here?

_____

Fortunately—the doctor said, " _Fortunately_ , you didn't receive any brain damage and your skull remains in tact. However, you'll need to come back for a routine check-up. Your arm will be okay in a week but your leg might take a month for the bones fully heal and you're going to need physical therapy. Other than that nothing serious as long as you don't overwork yourself"

A month. A MONTH.

"Dammit. . ."

Your mother didn't glance up from her magazine "Language!"

You rolled your eyes because you've muttered and shouted and gasped worse things than that when you were younger and she barely bat an eyelash then.

Arin put down her makeup brush "Think of it this way, [Name]: you get to ride the teachers' elevators, plus you can guilt-trip people into letting you cut in line" You weren't sure if it was a hilarious attempt to make you laugh or an actual thing people did.

You rolled down the window and exhaled. The university gates appeared in sight. You've been absent for a week and a half. Your arm sling was no longer needed, though it was still a bit difficult to move your arm you were determined to get back to studying. A week and a half were nothing if you were still in high school, but you weren't in high school anymore. Sometimes even a single absence was enough to have one's foot in the grave.

Mr. Luca opened the door. Allen slung your backpack over his shoulder.

"Don't push yourself" Your mom ordered and you obediently nodded. She put down the magazine "You know you can just go back to school next week. At least give your leg more time to rest"

You loved your mother, but she should know better anyone how much your grades mattered to you. "I'll be okay"

She gave you a good luck kiss on the forehead "We're going back to the hospital this Saturday, don't forget all right?"

"I won't."

"I'll come and pick you up so give me a call"

"Yes, mom"

Mr. Luca helped you to your wheelchair.

"Thank you"

He merely lowered his chin and then Arin grabbed the handles.

"Bye, Mrs. [Lastname]" The twins chorused together. Mr. Luca shut the door.

You three entered the campus and you were glad that people didn't pay attention, when they did it was only for a moment and then they were back minding their own business.

"You're going to have a word with the dean first" Allen fixed the two backpacks on his shoulders, "We'll take you to her office"

Arin had a point. The teachers' reserved elevator was the best. There were no long lines that made people prefer the stairs and it was air-conditioned.

"Good morning, ma'am" Arin greeted as she pushed you into the dean's office.

"Good morning, girls" Dean Rossi nodded. Her amber eyes dropped on you "Miss [Lastname]?"

"Morning, ma'am"

"I'll wait outside, 'kay?" Arin whispered to your ear, flashed a smile at the dean and then walked back to the waiting room. Once she was gone Dean Rossi spoke "How are you doing so far?"

"Um, I'm doing all right. Thank you for asking. . . My cast will be removed in a month so. . .thank you"

"I see. That's good news." Something changed in her expression as she slid her elbows on her mahogany desk and your gut knew that what she was about to say next wasn't going to be pleasant "[Name]. . .I'm afraid I have something to tell you" There was a beat and then: "Your scholarship has been revoked."

If you could stand you would've sent your wheelchair rolling back the doors. "W-what?"

"You missed a test and Dr. Pabinguit had no choice but to fail you"

"But I—the accident happened! With all due respect it's not like I planned to miss the test"

The dean simply looked at you with sympathy and you've realized that there was nothing you could say or do.

Dean Rossi then explained that you could try for another scholarship next semester, but for this one you had no financial help. You had to pay for everything. And you needed to pay the rest of your tuition within two months or the university will be forced "to let you go".

In other words, if you didn't get cash soon your future was as good as gone.

 

For the rest of the day you concentrated on the lectures, recording every word that the doctor said and typing relentlessly on your laptop, but the fact that you were going to get kicked out haunted you from the back of your head.

The twins were with their study group and so you rang your mom and she came with Mr. Luca to pick you up.

"How'd your first day back go?" She asked.

The moment you saw the wrinkles and the heavy bags on her face your mouth opened widely and replied "Great." You proceeded to tell her that aside from a few missed lessons that you needed a tutor for everything was fine.

You couldn't bring yourself to tell her the truth. You made the decision to keep the information to yourself until there was no other choice but reveal it, but until the dean calls you again to her office this secret was yours.

Your mom eyed you suspiciously but shrugged it off, probably thinking that you were tired.

You sighed and stayed quiet even when you two entered the apartment.

"What do you want for dinner?" Your mom gently placed your backpack on your lap "Meat casserole?"

"Ha ha, very funny"

"Pumpkin soup?"

"That would be great. Thank you, mother"

"Anything for you, dear daughter"

You spun your wheels towards the bedroom. You stopped at your desk and stared at the vase you bought for the lilies Luciano sent. Most of them were already limping.

Should you?

You pulled open the drawer and picked up the card that came with the flowers.

_My offer still stands._

Survival. Desperation.

Head before heart. But which wanted which? You weren't sure yourself. Logically, this was the easiest way to get the money but at the same time was it smart to get involved with such a dangerous man? At the same time, you had your honor to protect. What if playing girlfriend eventually leads to Luciano making more demands than you could provide him?

_But my parents. . ._

You peered out the room. Mom was already laying out the ingredients on the countertop. You closed the door, took a deep breath, and then punched in the number.

His phone rang twice.

 _"Pronto?"_ His voice was smooth even through the phone.

What to say, what to say. . .

Luciano said something else in Italian but you hang up and leaned back on your seat. You clutched your phone tightly. What were you supposed to say? Did you really want to do this?

You closed your eyes.

Fuck.


	7. Chapter 7

WHAT A SHITTY month this was turning into.

Three days after being discharged by the hospital, dad phones in and says that your grandfather (your mom's father) suffered from a stroke. Mom was an only child and your grandmother was already gone, dad had a tyrannical boss.

"I'm sorry about this, honey"

You shook your head and put on the best fake smile you could make "I'm an adult now, mom. I can take care of myself, but grandfather can't. He needs you more than I do"

She folded the last of her shirts and laid it in her trolley bag "How did I ever get such a strong girl for a daughter?" Though still dim from disappointment and worry, tired eyes twinkled with pride.

"Getting an F in family planning by forgetting to use a condom" You almost said to help lighten the mood, but instead your artificial grin was replaced by a genuine smile "You raised her well. You and dad, together"

She chuckled, "We did and we're the luckiest parents"

"All parents feel that." You decided not to say most parents.

"Yes. But, honey" She zipped her trolley and gave you her full attention "I don't care if you are legally an adult. You're my baby, and if anything happens to you your dad and I will raise Hell to set things right. You know that, don't you?" She bent down and embraced you. Her familiar vanilla scent reminded you of your childhood years and almost brought you to tears. Life was simpler when you were a kid. You cared less about what others wanted and you didn't listen to reason, when you were a child you were trapped in your own little world where the only feelings that mattered were yours. If only you grew up selfish, maybe you wouldn't be drowning in guilt as you returned the hug.

"You got it all backwards, mom" She pulled back and looked at you with uneven brows. You were going to miss having her here. "I'm the lucky one"

Mr. Luca had to bring you to school so your mom took a cab to the airport. You wished you came with her, after you'd be dropped by next sem so there was no point in attending classes.

However, she would suspect that something was wrong (you were sure she already did, what with those mom senses of hers) and you didn't want to give your family more problems than they could handle. The reality was that love alone wasn't enough, nor was dedication. No matter how much they told you that they would find a way to make ends meet you knew that there was rarely a way. Rarely a favorable way.

Your fingers tightened around your phone. You kept Luciano's card nearby in case you finally took him up on his offer, but you've called him over five times and each attempt ended with you hanging up the before he answered.

During the car ride back to your apartment he said that if you agree to be his pretend girlfriend then you get to choose how much he'd give you in return. You played with the idea, imagined the worst-case scenario, weighed the chances.

It was becoming an unhealthy obsession.

You tried to focus on what Arin was saying and you faked an eye-roll for when she mentioned her current lover—an older man from our building. But you couldn't lie to yourself. You chewed your cheek. Licked your lip. Clenched your fists. Your uninjured foot tapped softly on the campus cafeteria floor.

The clock was ticking and the desperation grew with every tock. You hated hopelessness, it was an ugly feeling that knotted your stomach and squeezed the air out of your lungs. It made you small, powerless. Helpless.

You picked up your sandwich and took a tiny bite. You lost your appetite since the dean gave you the news but you forced yourself to eat otherwise the twins (and your mom) would've picked up that something was wrong.

For better or worse you shut your phone and concentrated on everything else beside Dean Rossi's news and Luciano's offer. It turned to be for the better as you were no longer tempted to stare at your phone's wallpaper, thinking of dialing Luciano's number. But that only lasted for as long as the rest of the school day. Once the last class was over there were no unpronounceable terms or important definitions to occupy your thoughts as you left the lecture hall.

"Thank you, but I said I'll be okay on my own."

Toris stood behind, holding your wheelchair. He offered to escort you out the building and didn't take no for an answer, but now you two were all alone in this slow-moving elevator and you couldn't stand the obvious guilt painted all over him.

"It's not your fault" You said and meant every word. The accident triggered a chain reaction with each situation being worse than the last. You were trying to cope and blaming someone would've been the best way to deal with these events. You'd take rage over self-pity any time. But you couldn't find anyone deserving of your anger, not Toris or Dr. Pabinguit or Dean Rossi. This was just a string of bad days brought on by a wild storm. A very shitty string of bad days.

"I know it's not but. . ." He trailed off. Toris was a good guy "I'm sorry, [Name]" But he was too good to others and not enough to himself.

"Don't do that, Toris." You pressed a finger to your cast, already full of get well soon's from your classmates "Every time you blame yourself you steal my thunder"

He laughed.

Smiling, you fished out a pencil case from your bag "You still haven't signed it yet"

He took out a blue marker and wrote 'Sorry for stealing your thunder' then signed it with a smiley.

"No more sorry's from now on, okay?"

He nodded in agreement "Okay"

As Toris pushed your chair out the building and down the ramp, you were too busy looking at your planner to spot the familiar figure approaching you two.

"Um. . ." Toris stopped and you put down your planner.

There was a gasp but you didn't know if it came from you or one of the girls nearby, because dressed in a black suit and standing before you was none other than Luciano Vargas, looking fine as ever.

You cursed yourself for those damn calls.

His eyes travelled from your broken leg up to your face. He bowed his head "[Name]" He then gave his attention to Toris. He gave your friend a small smile, "Hello. Luciano Vargas" He wasted no time and offered his hand.

Toris shook it but quietly gaped, not that Luciano seemed to notice. Or care. "Are you her caregiver?" It was a genuine question.

Toris, still in shock at this man's cool introduction, struggled to reply so you answered for him "No. He's in my class. His name is Toris."

Luciano pulled away "A pleasure"

"Is there anything we can help you with, Mr. Vargas?" You tried to sound in control, so far you were doing well despite the sudden spike in your blood pressure. You asked for your tears to stay glued to the surface of your eyeballs.

_Please not here, please not here. . ._

As if your prayers reached his ears, Luciano laid his hand on yours "Darling, I'm sorry I didn't visit you in the hospital" What? Your brows rose together.

Something in his smile gleamed and you saw right through it.

You cleared your throat. "No, it's all right. . . sweetheart" Not hearing the usual noisy chatting of random people in the campus, you realized that anyone within a five meter radius watched on with curious gazes.

You tapped your knee "I know you've been busy with work."

"I'm glad you understand, but I'm back and I want to make up for lost time" The mischief in his smile faded a little as he turned away from you, "Toris, was it?"

There was no sharpness in his tone but Toris' entire body jerked back "Yes?"

"If you don't mind, we'll be taking our leave now" Luciano went behind you and grabbed the handles of the wheelchair "It was a pleasure to meet you, Toris"

"Likewise, sir—I mean, Luciano."

 

You waited for him.

You waited for what he had to say. You waited, but even after his bodyguard shut the limo door he said nothing. He merely stared—no, he scrutinized you in unbearable silence as you fidgeted in the leather seat.

The car moved and you were unable to ease the tension building up in your nerves. Finally, you cracked and blurted out "Please say something"

Luciano crossed his arms, "You kept calling and hanging up. It was unnerving, I don't enjoy being teased"

"I'm sorry" _Don't kill me,_ you wanted to add. He admitted to being innocent of murder but he had to start at some point, didn't he?

He blinked, trying to study the authenticity of the apology. He raised his chin "Are you thinking of accepting my proposal?"

Your nod was so soft you doubted he saw. But then he spoke, "I wasn't expecting you to even consider it. I hoped but when you actually called it was a surprise"

He hoped? You nervously fiddled with the hem of your dress. Now or never. You'd die from stress if you didn't put an end to this mania. "If I was. . ." You breathed.

". . .would you still take me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" He tilted his head, like that was the dumbest question he has ever heard.

You gestured at the cast "I'm not exactly in perfect condition"

"I don't need your body to be perfect. I just want you and that brain of yours."

You laughed, "I don't think I've ever heard a pick up line like that. I appreciate it"

"Do you now?" His eyes gleamed.

"Of course. Pretty is okay" You brushed your braid over your shoulder "But if you really want me in your arms you compliment my brilliance. I don't want to brag, but I'm on a full scholarship." You then stopped grinning, "or _was_. . ." You corrected.

A look of understanding washed over his face "Is that why you considered my offer?"

You stared at your cast.

You fixed the skirt of your dress over your knees "I lost my scholarship because of an important test I missed. Nobody in my family knows. I have the chance to get it back but that's for next semester, for now I have to continue without it, but that's going to cost a lot of dough. The hospital and the therapy are already causing enough problems for my parents as it is. Even if we were to borrow money how could we pay?"

"Why don't you borrow from those friends of yours? They're loaded" The Rosewaters owned casinos and hotels all over the world so it was only natural that people in the underground have heard about them.

You shook your head "I can't do that" Because the twins weren't loaded, their grandmother was, and despite what outsiders would think the Rosewater kids didn't always get what they wanted. Eloise Rosewater was strict and every penny taken from the twins' allowance is reported straight to their grandmother. Eloise was awesome but she took money seriously. The empire she built for herself wasn't a result of being altruistic to everyone; she was a businesswoman who expected debts to be paid with interest. It didn't matter if you were her grandchildren's best friend.

"My dad would lose all his hair trying to pay it all back" and probably his life. Your dad was one of the proud providers-type. He'd die working before any of his children would leave school to get a dead end job.

"You care for your family"

You looked at him "Of course I do"

He played with the tip of your hair "Grandfather likes it when you put family above everything else"

Your eyes widened.

"I'm sure he'll be happy to meet you." He took out his iPhone "I'll have the contract prepared. What are your terms?"

You were actually doing it.

Relieved, you fixed your posture and cleared your throat. "I'll need tonight to come up with my conditions"

He nodded.

"However, I already know what my payment is"

"Name your price. A million US dollars? Ten?"

Your fingers were cold "I want my tuition covered for this semester"

"Is that it?" He almost seemed amused.

"No" It was your turn to fold your arms "I also want to make sure that the university keeps quiet about revoking my scholarship and receiving such an amount of money."

He chuckled "As you wish, signorina"


	8. Chapter 8

THE APARTMENT WAS empty when Luciano helped you up the building.

"They're probably still studying" You said.

He stood by the door, silently observing the inside of the unit. Paper carpeted the floor, textbooks both old and new stacked on top of each other in a corner, post-its were virtually everywhere.

Luciano found a note by the light switch.

"'Un interruttore'?" He turned to you "You're learning Italian?" Of course he wouldn't assume that it was one of the Rosewater twins.

You flushed "I'm trying"

He smiled and blurted something far too fast—most likely a question because of the cadence—and the only word you caught was _bella_. Italian for "pretty". You tiwsted your mouth in frustration "I have no idea what you just said"

He chuckled "I asked you 'May I come in and help you with your conditions, pretty lady?'"

"Oh. Oh—no, no. I don't think that's a good idea"

"I'm not going to manipulate you into entering a sexual affair"

You rolled your eyes "It's not _that_. What I meant is—" You tapped the watch on your wrist "It's seven p.m. and either Arin or Allen can walk in on us any minute"

"We aren't going to fuck in the living room floor, sweetheart, we're just going to write your conditions together. Is that so bad? Besides" His lips curled teasingly "I think your friends like me"

There was no way out of this.

You sighed. "Would you like a drink?"

 

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Luciano asked, taking the yellow legal pad from you. The black tea you prepared him was left untouched. Prick.

"Yes" You crossed your arms in an attempt to appear assertive, that you wouldn't have it any other way. Deep inside you were throbbing in anxiety as he scanned the list you made. If he had any protests. . .You didn't know how to deal with that. Luciano was your last option here, but you doubted that you were his first.

You began to sweat. You didn't have the upper hand here, if he didn't like your terms he could just turn around and find some other girl, some girl who probably would act for free.

Luciano ripped the paper from the pad.

Your breath hitched.

He folded the paper and tucked it inside his jacket "I'll call you as soon as I talk to my lawyer about this. He's still in Manila dealing with an indictment"

Ignoring the use of the word _indictment_ , you gulped with relief.

He raised an eyebrow at the way your shoulders slumped free of distress. He smiled "Aw, did you think I'd say no to you?" He grabbed your chin and you almost gasped. His eyes were piercing. "Were you worried?"

"Yes."

He blinked back in surprise, clearly he didn't expect you to be frank.

You massaged your shoulder "I'm desperate. Believe me I wouldn't have done this unless I had no other choice" A thought chilled the blood in your veins and you hugged yourself, _If I was willing to do this, what else would I have done without Luciano's offer?_

The door creaked open.

Allen froze at seeing Luciano standing over the coffee table. He fixed his posture "I beg your pardon, I wasn't aware [Name] was having company" His eyes fell over your form at the mention of your name.

Like Allen, he went over and reached out a hand "Good evening. Luciano, right? I don't think we've been formally introduced. I'm Allen"

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise" Allen let go "I'm assuming you're staying for dinner?"

"Oh no. I just wanted to see [Name]. I was attending a business trip while she was in the hospital" Once again Luciano's gracefully spoke his lies without a stutter or a hint of hesitance. Unlike you he had a silver tongue. You had no doubt in mind that this particular skill was what got many women falling for him, but that's only if they didn't already fell for the looks and wealth.

However, Allen seemed uncomfortable. He was being the usual well-mannered prince he was, but you could see past that practiced smile. Allen didn't trust Luciano.

"Business? What kind of business?" His tone was polite but there was suspicion hidden behind his calm façade.

Shit. Did Allen get that kind of vibe from Luciano?

Luciano casually shifted his weight on one foot "Cars—well, the parts but not actual vehicles." You didn't know if that part was true but considering how much he treasured his Juliet there was a possiblity. Though you've never heard of the name Vargas associated with cars.

Then again you didn't know anything about cars. . .

"I also sometimes help make business decisions for my brother and his company" Brother? "Flavio Vargas" Wasn't Flavio Vargas—

"The fashion designer" Allen nodded "I've heard of him. My sister is obsessed with him" Of course you knew who _Flavio_ was. Vargas was Arin's favorite fashion house, back in college she confessed of how she dreamt of working there. Obviously that dream didn't come true.

There was a ping sound and Luciano fished out his phone. He clicked his tongue as he typed a reply. "There's an emergency back in the office" You pictured Luciano sitting in a big black CEO chair in a steely room. You recalled his playfulness with you, and then his ability to charm most people into liking him. You slanted your head in deep thought. Hm.

"I'm sorry for cutting our introduction short" Luciano snatched his jacket from a nearby chair.

"It's all right"

Luciano slid into his jacket and then turned and bent over you "Don't get mad" He whispered, and then his mouth was on yours.

His lips were soft. . . He smelled faintly of men's cologne and leather. Instinctively, you were about to return the kiss, but before your muscles relaxed he was standing up again.

You hoped that your face didn't show anything. You'd break your other leg first before admitting you liked him.

"I'll see you around, cara." He said, turned to nod at Allen, and left.

When the door clicked close, Allen tapped his foot and cocked a brow, waiting for your explanation.

You raised both hands in the air "I—"

The door slammed open "GUYS, GUESS WHO I JUST SAW IN THE HALLWAY" Arin's hair was a mop and the straps of her backpack were on her elbows. She caught your gaze and grinned.

You rubbed your temples and then proceeded to give your story:

Luciano asked for a second chance and you said yes, but neither of you were confident that the relationship would last so you both agreed to keep a lid on it until you were sure. The accident happened and Luciano was unable to come because of this and that, and now that he was back you were trying to go steady.

Arin squealed the whole time. Allen was torn between being happy for you and sharing his concerns; in the end he congratulated you and added "Be careful, okay?"

He need not remind you.

___

You were already up studying at three so your phone buzzing at four a.m. didn't bother you. You put down your second cup of coffee on the countertop and opened the text.

_Good morning, beautiful._

You bit your lip. _I didn't know spoiled rich boys could rise before ten_ was what you wanted to say but you didn't have Arin's confident-and-friendly streak. Besides, if you wrote that it'd look as though you were returning his flirtations. So you typed back: _Morning. What do you want?_

 **Luciano:** You're not very amiable in the morning, are you?

 **You:** I'm studying.

You paused, then quickly sent another message.

 **You:** Is this about the contract?

 **Luciano:** Are your roommates asleep?

You glanced at the bedroom door. Allen usually rose at exactly five. Arin needed to be pried away from the sheets at five-thirty.

 **You:** Yes.

He didn't reply. Two minutes later someone knocked.

You tiptoed to the door and peered through the peephole. A tall and buffy lady Suit stood on the other side of the door.

"Good morning, Miss [Lastname]" She greeted curtly and you recognized a Sicilian accent.

"Um—"

"Sir Luciano has a package for you" She presented you a brown envelope "I trust that you already know what's in here"

The contract. "Yes, I do. Thank. . ." She already walked away. You scowled and shut the door before hurrying into the bathroom.

Your phone buzzed again.

 **Luciano:** Read everything and let me know if something bothers you. If it's still unsigned by Friday then I will take that as your rejection.

Instead of replying, you checked if Allen was already up.

Nope. The kitchen was empty.

Cautiously, you pulled out the contents of the envelope.

 

This agreement made and entered this ___ day of ________, 20XX is between Luciano Vargas (henceforth called the "Employer") and ____________________________ (henceforth called the "Employee").

**Now, therefore, both parties hereby agree as follows:**

 

i. **The EMPLOYEE**

1 By signing this contract, the Employee has agreed to accompany the Employer to certain events such as, but not limited to family dinners and dates. The Employee shall receive a one week's notice for each event she is asked to attend and has the right to not come given that she provides a reasonable excuse (e.g. the Employee has schoolwork that needs her attention).

2 While under this contract the Employee will not have any relationship of romantic and/or sexual nature with outside parties, male or female.

3 The Employee must maintain a certain degree of appearance, hygiene and decorum according to the requests of the Employer until the termination of the contract.

4 With the Employer, the Employee has agreed to kiss and be kissed (on the lips, the forehead, the cheeks, on the hands), to hold hands, and to embrace in public or whenever in the company of others.

5 The Employee acknowledges that she is only to play the part of a lover for the Employer in public and therefore agrees that she does not have nor will she seek a romantic and/or sexual relationship with the Employer. Failure to abide to this condition will result in the immediate termination of the contract.

 

ii. **The EMPLOYER**

6 By signing this contract, the Employer has agreed to pay the Employee a total of 50,000.00 Euros, which includes hush money in addition to the Employee's first semester tuition. The Employer will handle the monetary transaction.

7 For the entirety of the six months under the contract, the Employer will take full responsibility of the Employee's mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Furthermore, any request made to the Employee that requires financial help will be covered by the Employer.

8 With the Employee, the Employer is allowed to kiss and be kissed (on the lips, the forehead, the cheeks, on the hands), to hold hands, and to embrace in public or whenever in the company of others.

9 The Employer shall not, under any circumstances, force himself on or coerce the Employee into entering a sexual relationship or performing any sexual activity. Failure to abide to this condition will result in the immediate termination of the contract.

10 The Employer will cease and not seek any romantic and/or sexual relations with outside parties while bound to the contract.

 

iii. **COMMENCEMENT AND TERMS**

11 Commencement of the agreement starts once the Employer and the Employee have read and agreed to the conditions and signed the contract.

12 Any breach in the conditions shall render the contract void and both parties agree that the offender will take full responsibility for the consequences of any breach.

13 Both parties acknowledge that the agreement will terminate promptly after three months from the day of commencement. Neither the Employer nor the Employee was coerced or under the influence of alcohol or drugs when they signed this contract.

 

_______________________________

Signature over printed name

of the Employer

 

_______________________________

Signature over printed name

of the Employee

 

Reading the contract was a lot like pushing someone you despised in front of an incoming train and then attending mass. The brief wave of relief reeled back, replaced by a flood of unease and slight guilt. Every step came with a fresh brick of frozen vomit, piling up in the pits of your stomach.

What if someone found out about this?

What if something went wrong?

What if you got _killed_?

No. You shook your head. You held up the papers— _I can't do this_ —you then tore apart the contract. You ripped each crisp piece of paper into dozens before crumpling them all in your fists and dumping them in the trash bin.

You heard footsteps.

"[Name]?"

You got rid of the envelope and then went to the kitchen, "Hey, Allen"

"Hi." He yawned as he poured water in the teakettle.

You put your phone on airplane mode just when a new message arrived; you deleted it and returned to the island. You took a big gulp of coffee (served black) and relished the heat biting on your tongue.

Allen scratched his chin, "You okay? You look stressed"

"We're medical students" _But not for long._

He laughed, "Good point"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *50,000.00 Euros = 59,101.75 US Dollars = 3,014,827.78 Philippine Pesos. I don't know about you but that is a hella lot of money, I'd lose all my hair trying to earn that kind of money. (By the way, this is random but am I using 'hella' right? SHOUTOUT TO LIFE IS STRANGE FANS!)


	9. Chapter 9

STUPID, STUPID, STUPID. What were you supposed to do now? Without Luciano's offer you had no other means to get the money for tuition. You've blocked his number from your phone and there was no way you were going to ask for another copy of the contract.

Besides, it's been two weeks now. None of his Suits came to give you a message and you sensed that he already moved on, probably found somebody else for the role.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

"I haven't seen Luciano around. Are you guys one of those on-again off-again couple?" Allen arrived with Mr. Luca to pick you up from the hospital. Your cast had been removed days ago but you still couldn't walk.

"I think so. Maybe. Where's Arin?" Allen helped you into the car while Mr. Luca folded the wheelchair.

"We just finished three big tests this week so grandma arranged a dinner reservation at her hotel"

You've never been to a single one of the Rosewater group's hotels, not in New York (Pangaea, because it was the first built) or London (the Kingsman) or whatever, but apparently each branch had a distinctive design specific to the country it's located. The Rosa Italiana stood hundreds of meters from the ground, a fine hybrid of modern and Roman architecture. Both doormen wore navy and gold, and neither of them was under six feet, they reminded you of friendlier bouncers.

"Is Eloise going to dine with us?" You croaked once inside the elevator.

A bellboy had taken the responsibility of wheeling you around and you fidgeted even when Allen told you to ignore him.

"Hopefully. Her jet landed last night. I haven't seen her for a year"

"Where was she this time?"

"Well, she just got back from Manhattan. Had some business meeting concerning drug dealers in her hotel there"

"Must be tough"

He shrugged and the elevator slowed to a halt.

The hotel restaurant was named Da Giovanni, after the head chef. The maître d' greeted you in Italian and then in English, introducing himself as Angelo and then giving the will-be absent Eloise's regards before leading you to a VIP table separated from the rest of the room with a wall of frosted glass. Arin was reading a manga, seated on a half moon sofa. She'd already started drinking.

"Sister" Allen alerted her and she put down the comic.

"Finally! I'm starving. How long does it take to fetch someone from the hospital?"

Despite the twins' insistence, you didn't bother to get off your chair.

Although the restaurant had much to offer most of its main course consisted of either a bird or a bovine. Fortunately, the salads, soups and pasta were more than enough. You ate and drank and talked about school (there was no avoiding the topic, though you found comfort in successfully acing your tests with only two to three mistakes).

By the time the desserts arrived, the garter of your dress had begun suffocating you.

"Mm. Delicious" You finished off the opera and dropped the fork. You slumped in your chair "I don't think I would choose a dick over this"

Arin swallowed the last drop of her twelfth serving of wine "You're just saying that because you've never experienced it"

"So a world without men for you is. . . ?"

"I would die, girl. I would die" She slammed the flute on the table for emphasis.

Allen, who didn't look like he was about to burst out of his pants, rolled his eyes "It's not like no food, Arin"

"Oh, it's worse. Much, much worse. Like. . .can you imagine what it'd be like to not have sex? _Ever_? Christ, I'd. . .I'd fucking drown myself. I would, I would just fucking die" She then broke into a witch-like laugh.

"That's enough wine for you" Allen snatched the bottle away before she could grab it.

"You are such a wanker, brother. Sometimes we need to have fun! Let loose, have fun" Arin's accent got thicker and stronger when she was either emotional or hammered.

"You're loose enough as it is" He retorted. She blew him a raspberry.

You finished your wine and chatted a little more before you all agreed that it was time to leave. As lovely as this place was each of you had a study group waiting for tomorrow afternoon.

You immersed yourself in studying, indulged in the bits of victory you got from getting a question right, you buried the fact that you only had two months left in Italy. You've already quit. Pathetic, but what else to do, right? Might as well enjoy medical school here before returning home.

"Shoot" Allen tsked when you exited the elevator. He brought you to the waiting area of the lobby, and then ordering Arin to sit down. "I need to use the rest room. Keep an eye on her for me?"

You took her hand in yours and gave it a squeeze. She yawned. "Will do"

Allen disappeared into a hall. Your purse pinged with a text message from an unknown contact. _Naughty girl._ You clicked your tongue, Arin probably handed your number by accident. She'd done it before with Eloise's number.

_QUACK, QUACK, QUACK!_

Arin jolted upright and the phone almost slipped out your hands from surprise. _QUACK, QUACK, QUA—_

You hit answer and relished the silence. Arin slumped down the cushions.

The designer-dressed men and women around threw you a nasty look and you flushed before hissing into the mic _"Who is this?"_ Your face was still hot from the glares the call got you.

There was a familiar chuckle and your heart melted.

"The polite and proper greeting would be 'Hello' or 'Good evening'. Then again, you are a tease so I shouldn't expect you to follow conventions"

"Luciano? Why are you calling me?" You whispered, hoping Arin wouldn't hear.

"You have an interesting ringtone" You whipped your head up.

Once again Luciano wore a three-piece suit and his mysterious smile that gave you goose bumps.

He slid his iPhone back inside his jacket "You never cease to amuse me, cucciola" You were certain that cucciola meant 'puppy'. Ugh.

"W-w-what are you doing here?"

His shoulders rolled back "I had a business meeting and it was held here." This universe had a twisted sense of humor.

Allen jogged back to you and Arin, he immediately put on his mask and greeted Luciano with a tight smile. Luciano grabbed the wheelchair, "I'm sorry but it's been a while since I've talked to [Name]"

"A while indeed" Allen folded his arms "Busy with work?"

Luciano's fingers trailed down your arm, a fake gesture of affection. "I'd like to steal her away from you if you don't mind. I just feel awful for not being there as much as I should"

Allen tilted his head. You sighed inwardly and gave him the green light.

"All right. Will you be escorting her home then?"

"Of course"

Allen nodded and bent down to pick up Arin in his arms. "It was nice seeing you again, Mr. Vargas. Arin's half-dead but Luca is already waiting for us outside. [Name]?"

"I have my key" You patted your bag "You don't have to wait up"

"Enjoy your date" He flashed you a pointed look recognizable only to those who've known him long enough. _Careful_. He silently warned and then he headed towards the hotel exit, the staff ran like mice to his aid.

Luciano started for the elevator. Two Suits emerged from nowhere and shooed other guests away.

Just as the doors slid close, Luciano bent his neck and whispered, "You didn't think you could run away, did you?"

You tensed in your chair and he pulled away with a laugh. "I'm joking. You're cute when you're not sure what to do." Cute wasn't how you would put it, but you were awkward when it came to things you didn't expect, when plans didn't go your way. You weren't fond of getting the rug pulled from your feet.

"Judging from how your friend Arin's current state I'd say you either went to the bar or Da Giovanni. The duck he prepares is one of the best I've ever tasted"

You clawed on your knees. When you remained quiet he moved onto another topic.

"Your friend Allen seems protective" Luciano wheeled you inside his suite, three times larger than your shared apartment.

"He is."

"Are you two dating?"

"No" You squeaked.

He unbuttoned his jacket and folded it over the armrest of his white leather couch, as he sat down he caught your stare and you quickly turned to the envelopes and magazine on the coffee table.

"Do you two have a history?"

You forced down a snort.

"Do you?" You couldn't get a read from his face, he seemed to be in complete control of his emotions, but his voice was tight.

"No" You twirled a loose thread from the hem of your dress. Luciano didn't say anything for a while, he regarded you with an unreadable expression.

Then he asked "You're still scared of me"

"A little"

"But you like me too" A smug grin touched his lips.

The thread snapped. "Excuse me?"

"You like me and you feel bad because you think you shouldn't like me. You're so adorably, stupidly stubborn that you've buried your feelings"

Something ticked in your jaw, but no sound left your mouth.

Luciano leaned back and raised a leg over his knee, satisfied. Oh, no. He did not get to make that kind of assumption.

You finally found your voice "N-no" You wagged a finger "No. I didn't sign the contract because you're a mobster and I can't risk—"

"Risk what?"

The words fell into silence and you bit your cheek.

Luciano clasped his fingers together "Well?" He didn't look angry. In fact, his smile was amused, expectant.

"I can't risk getting backstabbed."

He chuckled "I don't blame you. Criminals aren't to be trusted. But [Name], I'm a man of my word, if I tell you I won't do this then I won't do this. If I say I'll do that then I'll do that." He uncrossed his legs "Men aren't like you girls who say one thing but mean another. We give actual compliments, not just passive aggressive bullshit, and when we say we want something we _want_ it. Now, do you still have your contract or did you throw it in a shredder?"

"What makes you so confident that I still want it?"

He smirked "And we're back to you playing defense. It's a simple question, [Name]"

You stared at the clenched fists on your lap.

"I know how bad you want to stay in that school, compared to what other girls have to do for a lousy dollar, I'm giving you a good deal here." He pushed the magazines away to reveal a brown envelope "I'll ask you one last time: Will you be my girlfriend?"

You swallowed hard and returned his gaze.

Luciano didn't have a trace of doubt in those magenta eyes. Bastard.

You sighed. "I need a pen"


	10. 10

**Luciano**

I FIXED THE black cufflinks on my sleeves and then picked up a silver wristwatch from the collection stashed carefully in a drawer. I checked the time: only three minutes before the dinner. I glanced over to my phone resting on the mahogany desk. [Name] still hasn't replied if she was already in the car I sent for her. Two weeks ago she signed the contract with me and tonight she was going to do her first job: meeting the Vargas Boss, Ricardo Vargas.

Nonno wasn't a tardiness freak but if we wanted to make a good impression we had to be on time. [Name] had to make a good impression, but I doubt it would be hard. Even if she doesn't know it, she's charming in her own way. Socially awkward but not completely inept, guarded but sweet, and is the right amount of surface-world innocence. The perfect little bride-to-be for a high-ranking mobster.

Oh, fuck me gently.

There was no such thing as perfect. Everyone had different tastes, different standards. When it came to my women I preferred them smart and not-so-innocent, sultry but not trashy; they knew what they wanted and so did I, there were no expectations. No shouting, no finger-pointing, none of those lovey-dovey bullshit. My relationships were strictly of the sexual nature, the girls who come to me know that.

And not to brag but I have a talent for figuring people out, and [Name] [Lastname] was far from my taste. She was too Mary for me, young and pure and everything I wasn't used to. Uncharted waters. Pretty braids and flowy sundresses were far from the typical players of my games. Of course, when I say she's nothing like my usual companions that wasn't to say she was stupid, or un-sexy. Far from it. She was intelligent, that much was obvious considering how she managed to pass the university, and she was opinionated beneath that unassuming exterior; it shocked me when she shared her views on arranged marriages. She made excellent points, she spoke about marriage like it was an investment. I respected that.

Perhaps she was more mobster wife material than she appeared. More mobster than I was.

Ha. I let out a humorless laugh, because what am I saying? If my grandfather could hear my words he'd tell me there was no such thing as being more or less mobster than a Vargas. A Vargas was a man meant for great things, a man who had the world bowing to him. _Him_ because girls were to stay in the kitchen. Most of them anyway, I said to myself, thinking about the two or three lady mobsters who served as bodyguards.

But then my grandmother's cheery voice pierced through my angry thoughts "Girls are only good for loving." I closed my eyes. From the stories I've heard, nonnina was an independent lady, she was a successful ballerina, but then she abandoned that career after marrying into the mob.

This fucking mob, I growled. It destroys more dreams than it grants.

My phone pinged, but much to my disappointment, it wasn't [Name] but Mario. The guard I sent to pick her up from her apartment.

Someone knocked on the door before rudely flinging it open without my go sign. Only one person would do that.

White suit and bleached blonde hair, "Oh, baby brother" He sang out, he only did that kind of thing to annoy me.

I dropped my arms and rolled my head towards my older brother "What do you want, Flavio?"

"Don't be like that. Didn't you miss me?" He grinned expectedly. The truth was that I did miss Flavio, who had been away in New York dealing with his fashion business and a few things for the family business. Flavio and I hid no secrets from one another. Okay, that's bullshit. We hid lots of secrets from each other, but I was the first person to find out the truth; that Flavio Vargas, _the_ grandson who was meant to be the next Boss, was gay. Not bi, no girls. He swung one way. "Strictly men. No pussies, just cocks and back doors", he half-jokingly spilled during a drunken stupor between two brothers on a sad November night. (I think I told him I didn't care and that I still loved him, he didn't remember. I refuse to remind him.) I asked him once if he saw himself as a girl in a boy's body. He gave me a look as though I was an idiot and told me that he was fine with having a dick, he was what he was: "A man with great taste". After that I learned just not to question him on the topic any further.

He eventually confessed to nonno. Now, grandfather was old school but he loved his family, adored his grandsons, so he didn't spit on Flavio as many traditionalists probably would have. He gave him money to launch his fashion career and wished him the best of luck, both in life and love.

I was happy for Flavio. But he had lost his right to inherit the cosca, which left me as the sole heir.

"I've great news. I'll be holding a fashion show in Paris this month."

"Congratulations" I grumbled, not really knowing how that was news. Flavio had accomplished stardom when he was only twenty. He was reaching his early thirties now, he'd been holding shows in boring old Paris for years.

Flavio chuckled "It's going to be grand and I want you to come."

"The hell I will" The last time I attended an event held by my brother, which was over a year ago, I was ambushed left and right by reporters and surface-world women attracted to Luciano Vargas, CEO of Vargas Automotive. They didn't know that that was only a veneer to cover up my "real" job: the next Boss. Luciano Vargas, Prince of Italy's Underworld.

Unfitting. I couldn't blame [Name] for thinking every mobster was a murderer, but I have never taken someone's life yet.

Yet, I repeated, suddenly feeling sick. As part of an informal initiation in joining the Mafia and earning my men's respect I had to, at some point, kill another person. I've been training for years, but dummies were radically different from a human being.

Flavio spoke again, pulling me back to the here and now "Come on, Luciano. You can bring a date." He suggested it as though it was a revolutionary idea.

"Like that ever stopped anyone" I noted with mild disgust, recalling the number of times I'd been harassed by admirers even with a woman by my side.

"I'm actually more interested in your new girlfriend."

"What?"

A familiar mischievous, I-know-something smirk curved Flavio's mouth "Don't play dumb, baby brother. I have eyes and ears everywhere."

I stared at him, "Stella told you, didn't she?" Stella was my secretary, and she had a massive crush on my brother.

"Not important" He shut the door and then narrowed his eyes, "Now tell me all about her."

There was no sidestepping Flavio, especially when it came to my personal affairs. He was a tad bit protective, so I skipped the details about getting attacked by Alfred Fucking Jones and lied about meeting her at a café: she ran out of money and couldn't explain herself to the Italian waitress, I offered to pay, we bonded ever since.

The whole time I narrated how [Name] and I got together Flavio was quiet, tapping his foot and nodding gently. I finished and then he grinned slowly.

"You're full of bullshit, little brother, but I think you're getting better at lying to me. How did you really meet her?"

My brother had an antenna for these kinds of things, and not wanting to waste energy trying to block it, I confessed the truth. No sex, no romance, no expectations. It was a simple employer and employee relationship.

After I finished Flavio shook his head, amused "Dio mio, Luciano. You'll do anything to have things your way"

"If I can." I didn't want to marry anyone, not yet, not in my current state of mind. "Deals and offers, the family business, right?"

He smirked "The family business. Sure. Well, good luck. I hope I get the chance to meet her before I start planning the show."

"You don't have to meet her." I said tiredly. Flavio wasn't into girls but that didn't make him any less handsome to the opposite sex, and I have a feeling that even [Name] wouldn't be immune to him, not to mention he wasn't above flirting with women for kicks. I had no idea why this bothered me though.

"Don't be a killjoy."

"Don't be a pain in the ass."

"Does she like you?" I'm startled with the sudden shift of subject. Flavio waited for an answer, I cleared my throat.

"I don't know what you're trying to say"

"I'm asking you if this girlfriend-for-hire likes you. You told me you both agreed not to have sexual relations but the entire time you talked you sounded whiny, like a little boy forced to attend a formal party when he'd rather be playing with cars."

Why does he have to be so observant? I clicked my tongue.

 _Because he was the original heir._ I reminded myself that Flavio was always the stronger fighter, the better tactician, the natural leader. The only edge I had against him in the family business was my knife skills. I was actually fine with that. I was satisfied with being the spare, but then he was removed from the line and I became the next Boss. That was when it really dawned on me how big a shadow my big brother cast.

My phone pinged and I crossed my bedroom to retrieve it. Then someone knocked on the door. "Sir Luciano" I recognized the voice as Umberto's, the chief bodyguard at our villa.

"Come in" I said as I opened the new text message from [Name]. _I'm here._

Umberto bowed his head slightly towards Flavio and then at me before announcing "Your grandfather has arrived." He then reached for his earpiece, listened as new information was given to him. A second later he added: "Miss [Lastname] is in the living room with him."

"Well, then" Flavio flashed me a smile and flipped his scarf around his neck, "shall we?"  
  


 

Author's note: Hi guys, sorry I've been absent for a while, I'm busy with school (but I'm still writing, just not publishing because I have to rewrite). Hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: FINALLY, an update after so many weeks. Only five days left before our sembreak (YIIIIEEEEEEES!) and I just can't wait to leave the condo. Anyway, for you bitter, single readers out there who understand Tagalog, I have a little hugot line from my theology class: Kung kaya ni Lord paghiwalayin ang Red Sea, kayo pa kaya? (It doesn't have the same impact in English but basically it's saying "If the Lord can split the Red Sea, then what else you two [lovers]?"). I just thought I'd share, because damn, talk about burn HAHAHA. Okay, that's enough, Ronnie. ON WITH THE SHOW.

 

**You**

THE VARGAS VILLA was nothing short of magnificent.

Standing in an isolated field far away from most of Florence, its vine-covered brick walls and sun-drowned horizon gave a very romantic Renaissance feel to it. A perfect setting for a potential love story.

If only Suits didn't surround the area like massive, hypercompetent Dobermans. . .

The SUV stopped and a woman in a modern maid uniform resembling scrubs, made to maximize movement as much as possible) welcomed you inside the gigantic Palazzo-styled villa with a traditional interior of autumn-inspired palette: heavy 19th century furniture, floral arroyo red drapes, and brass-framed still life paintings, most of which centered on rich red apples.

You bit your lip, suddenly feeling small and vulnerable as your chauffer, a Suit named Jose, wheeled you into the living room.

A man sat on a chair with the back facing you.

The woman spoke in a language different from the Italian you've grown accustomed to. In the span of a few weeks you've managed to become a passive Italian speaker. Listener. The point was that you could understand most of what the locals said. But here you could barely recognize the words.

"Señor, nandito na po ang bisita ninyo." Spanish, maybe?

Your host stood, around six feet tall with broad shoulders and muscled arms not unlike the Suits. He turned on his feet to reveal a golden-brown tan and more macho, fiftysomething version of Luciano. The tip of his right ear seemed to have been ripped off.

"Salamat, Joyce." His voice was raspy, sounding like he had a hard time speaking. You wondered whether he has always been like that, or if something had happened to his throat. "You may leave us. Oh, and tell Luciano to hurry it up"

The woman nodded her head and left the room without a word, leaving you alone with the gladiator. He tilted his head slightly as he not so discreetly assessed your form, though not in a lecherous manner, rather a health inspector trying to identify any possible flaws. You tried not to squirm under his judging gaze and attempted to make conversation. However, you were embraced and kissed on the cheeks before you could utter a word.

You looked up to find him smiling brightly, displaying an impressively white set of teeth.

"I've waited so long to meet you! The girl to finally anchor my grandson"

"Stop it, nonno, you'll scare her away. Besides I don't think marriage is her main dream at the moment." The gladiator let go as a man in white approached you wearing a flirtatious smile. "Ciao, bella. I hear you're a student at HU. Impressive." He grabbed and kissed your knuckles. You flushed "Thank you. I'm—"

Luciano appeared from behind the second stranger, bumping shoulders and forcing your hands to let go "You're both suffocating her." Luciano glanced down on your bruised but bare leg, he faced you but said nothing. The cast had been removed five days ago, but Luciano had been away on a business trip and this was his first time seeing you since. The doctors were impressed by the speedy recovery as it usually took months for broken bones to heal. They did a few more tests before deciding it was all right to get rid of the cast and start physical therapy.

"[Name], meet my grandfather Ricardo Vargas" The gladiator grinned wider. He didn't look that old. Luciano put his hand on your shoulder. You tensed. Sensing your distress, Luciano's hold loosened a bit. Every night after you signed the contract you and Luciano would pick you up from the apartment for your "date", which was really more like interviews. Very intimate interviews. You had to train how to be comfortable with each other. To be more specific, he had to train you how not to quiver so much whenever he invaded your personal space. "For goodness sake" He didn't sound particularly pissed, as a matter of fact, he appeared to be amused when you quietly squeaked when he held your hand "I'm not going to eat you, [Name]. Calm down. Let's try again."

You exhaled and relaxed, then you squeezed him and flashed a fake smile of affection.

The man in white raised a brow, however, whatever his thoughts on your behavior he didn't share.

"[Name], this is Flavio Vargas"

Although you were sure that Luciano had already mentioned him before, you couldn't contain the surprise, "The fashion designer?"

"The one and only" The fair-haired Vargas winked, catching you off guard as you didn't know how to react at the flirtatious gesture so shamelessly executed. This boldness was a stark contrast to Luciano's own insouciant confidence. Still, there was no doubt that they were blood-related, as the men shared the same strong jawline and slender but rigid builds that seemed to have been made for wearing suits.

"Pardon me, sir." The maid from before returned "Dinner is ready"

Luciano dismissed the Suit and personally brought you into the dining room. He carefully lifted you onto your dining chair before planting himself right next to you. Flavio held back a snicker as he joined Ricardo on the other side of the table.

"I hope you like your steak well done, I helped prepare the meal myself" Ricardo said.

Luciano grasped for your hand—both of them rested on your lap as fists—he gave you a squeeze and unfolded your fingers. He proceeded to explain to his grandfather that you were vegetarian. You were blushing, whole-heartedly expecting the look of exasperation that many people have given you when you told them you didn't eat meat. It was the reason why you didn't bother to share it with anybody unless directly questioned; like when someone would notice how you avoided hamburgers and hot dogs, sticking to fries and dessert when you went to fast food chains.

However, when you decided to look up from your plate, Ricardo simply nodded, as though in understanding, and then he spoke "Of course. How can I be so inconsiderate?"

Ricardo asked you if you were okay with pasta—you said yes—then he called for a different maid, "Anette, please tell the chef to prepare a penne pesto for our guest."

The redhead maid bowed and disappeared into a set of mahogany doors.

On your first date he had given you three thick envelopes. The first one contained a questionnaire; a lot of the questions were fairly tamed (What's your favorite color? Do you have any allergies?) but since you were to act as his serious girlfriend you had to give less than professional trivia like When/Where did you have your first time?

You took a big gulp from your glass of lemon water, the warmth that crept up your face was washed away instantly by the cool, citrus-scented liquid.

Luciano leaned over and you clenched on the glass with effort, "Your leg" He glanced down on your bruised but bare leg.

"It's fine." You gave him a smile.

He frowned, wanting to say something, but again he remained silent just long enough for Flavio to cut into the conversation.

"So [Name]," He wore a charming grin that could fool anyone, almost fooled you too if not for you getting used to Luciano's practiced expressions. Clearly, Flavio had something up his sleeve. Maybe he knew the truth.

"How did you two meet?"

Your breath hitched. All three pairs of eyes and ears waited for your reply. Your heart pounded. You felt like a highschooler again, prepping yourself at the last minute for an oral presentation.

The second envelope he had given you contained all the lies about your relationship, the third was dedicated to Luciano's own background, and as with any of your classes you studied everything vehemently; you dedicated two hours every day to memorizing all the information in the documents, you acted out the best way to react and answer if someone got curious about a certain event, you sacrificed every vacant time you had just for this moment with Luciano's family. You were his innocent little lady who didn't know anything about the underworld, and you were madly in love with him. Right now that was your truth.

You weren't about to fail.

You cleared your throat and bashfully answered, "At a café. . ." You ran out of money and couldn't explain yourself to the Italian waitress, Luciano had offered to pay and the two of you have been inseparable ever since. It was a boring, formulaic boy-meets-girl story but it was what you and Luciano agreed to have made the most sense. The other options were either too crazy or too. . .meh.

Ricardo listened intently the entire time, frequently asking questions in between bites of his meal.

"How was your first date?" "Amazing. He took me to the Boboli gardens where we spent an hour and a half lounging in the Kaffehaus together. Then we went for gelato. . ."

"How many times a week do you two see each other?" "Hard to say. Not a day goes by without him calling to check up on me"

"How long have you two been seeing each other?" "Tomorrow will be our second month together. We plan to have dinner at Enoteca Pinchiorri"

On the other hand, Flavio, who started this interrogation in the first place, remained quiet. He didn't seem to be paying attention to the lies you've been spouting, but his eyes were sharp behind his gold-wired glasses. Beside you, Luciano nodded along as you talked and threw honeymoon smiles when you would mention a particularly heartwarming memory that you two shared. However, his grip on you tightened to the point where you had to shake off his hand under the table.

"What happened to your leg, bella?" Flavio suddenly spoke.

You tried not to act startled. After all, it was normal for people to grow curious about your injury. Ricardo put down his fork, he'd been so caught up on Luciano getting a girlfriend that he barely took notice of your condition until it was pointed out.

"I had an accident. A building collapsed and I was part of the collateral damage." In more ways than one.

"Was it just your leg that got hurt?" Flavio asked. You assumed he wondered if you broke any other bone but then he said "The hospital bill must've taken a toll on you. Not to mention all those days you've missed classes."

You firmly pressed your lips together, not sure what to say.

You felt Luciano's body lean closer, almost protectively, "Yes, she has missed a lot but [Name] is doing her best."

"My brother mentioned that you're a fulltime scholar at HU, I'm surprised they haven't revoked your scholarship. Three days of absence usually leads to suspension, what else an entire week, right?"

"Y-yes, but I've been doing so well they gave me a second chance"

Flavio grinned, amused.

Ricardo chuckled "Beautiful and clever—you and Luciano will make fine children."

"Thank you, nonno" Luciano looked at you and you prepared yourself as he brushed back a stray hair behind your ear.

After dinner, Ricardo had been pulled away from your company when a Suit came to inform him of "an urgent matter". He reluctantly said goodbye, gave you another set of kisses, and then left the villa. You were left with the two brothers in the family common room.

Flavio slid behind the bar counter "You drink, bella?"

You fixed the hem of your dress over your knees, "Not much."

"What do you like?"

You only drank during special occasions, with friends. Neither of these men were your friends. The last time you drank you pushed a man off a bridge. "Oh, um, I don't—"

"She'll have a white sangria." Luciano cut in, glaring at his brother "And I'll have whiskey. Neat. You know what I like, don't you?"

Flavio laughed "Sangria for the lady and whiskey for the gentleman. Coming right up"

The moment Flavio turned his back, Luciano brought you by the pool table. "Why don't you have a nurse with you? You just had your cast removed" He sounded angry.

"I can't afford a professional caregiver. Besides I have Arin and Allen helping me get around; and Mr. Luca too. I'll live"

"You're getting a nurse"

You opened your mouth but he sighed, "Do you realize what it would look like if I didn't cater to your needs? Your leg is still not fully well, I'm getting you a nurse"

"No" Having your own nurse was be too much. You didn't even left the apartment that often, and when you did you had the twins and Mr. Luca. Most of the time.

"Stop being so stubborn" His expression softened as he continued "The contract states that I am to take care of you in every way, that includes your hospital bills."

"Drinks are ready" Flavio appeared beside you holding the glasses. "What're you two lovebirds whispering about so secretively, hm?"

"Nothing an outsider needs to know" Luciano replied curtly, snatching the beverages away and handing you your order, "Flavio, I'd appreciate it if you left us alone for a bit"

Flavio shrugged "I have a couple of paperwork to do anyway, enjoy the alone time. This isn't over though" He sent Luciano a pointed look, then smiled at you for the one last time before exiting the room. At the click of the door, Luciano loosened his tie and took a big swallow of whiskey. His Adam's apple pulsed as he gulped down his drink, drawing attention to the sexy curve of his throat, never before had you thought something simple and natural like drinking could appear so sensual.

You tore your eyes away from him.

"Your family's quite charming" No wonder you're so smooth, you stared at the sangria.

He let out a humorless "Ha" and then he put down the half-empty glass on the table, "Sure"

"What's wrong?" You finally glanced up. His lips twisted into a wry smile, "Nothing. I just don't get along that well with them when it comes to women."

"I know." Ricardo seemed like the type to bash a girl who opened her legs to any man in sight, during the dinner he spent a good deal praising you for wearing an appropriate dress and not too much makeup. Flavio was a complete flirt, but you couldn't read him well. Luciano. . . He didn't want you raising your hopes up and getting your heart broken, he has reminded you numerous times that he went for short-term lovers.

"They seem to care a lot though" You said awkwardly when he remained silent. You read from the documents that his parents died when he and Flavio were still little boys, but you weren't given any details. Your chest ached with sympathy and you hastily changed the subject.

You ran your fingers over the billiard table. "Do you play?"

"Yeah, I hung out a lot in this room growing up." You breathed with relief at Luciano's light tone.

"Is it any fun?"

"If you have good company" He smiled "But it's not really my thing. Gets boring fairly quickly"

"If not pool then what is the prince's thing?"

He cocked his head to the target hanging on the wall "Darts."

"I'd like to see"

Without a word, Luciano reached over your shoulder and an end table. Luciano didn't even face the target, he flicked his wrist and the dart hit bull's eye.

Your mouth gaped open. "Holy shit"

Luciano threw back his head "Thanks"

"How is that even possible. . ."

"Practice, practice, practice" He picked up another dart. He flung it towards the wall. Another bull's eye.

Luciano chuckled at your wide-eyed expression and offered you a dart. You gazed at the projectile with a flushed face, "Ugh. . ."

"No one gets it right the first time. Here" He went behind you, fixed your index finger and thumb on the dart, and then gently folded your elbow repeatedly "You just need to relax your arm" He whispered, warm breath on your ear. Rather than relax, your muscles stiffened, making it difficult to move. He was too close.

He chuckled, the air vibrated and tickled the bare skin of your neck, "Calm down. I'm not going to hurt you."

"I know that, it's just that I—" You cut yourself off. What were you going to say? That in the past days you've spent together, Hell, that from the moment you have laid eyes on him you've been crushing on him hard; that his presence drove you wild with not-so-appropriate thoughts?

"What, [Name]?"

You dropped your arm "Nothing. It's getting late. I think I should go home now."

He frowned, "Right." He pulled out his iPhone and turned away from you "I'll call Jose and have him drive you back home" Your heart sank in disappointment but you kept your head down. Jose had been escorting you to and from your dates with Luciano but tonight a small part of you hoped for Luciano to take you home himself. You should've known better than to have expectations.

Luciano didn't bother to see you to the car, he had stayed in the common room sipping his whiskey when Jose came and wheeled you outside in silence.

You bit your inner cheek and watched through the window as the villa shrunk from your vision.


End file.
